The economy added 211,000 jobs in April, the Labor Department reported Friday, up from 79,000 in March.

Unemployment was 4.4 percent, down from March’s 4.5 percent

Average hourly private-sector earnings were up 2.5 percent over the previous year. In March, they were up 2.6 percent over the previous year.

Analysts had predicted the creation of 185,000 jobs, an unemployment rate of 4.6 percent and an increase in over-the-year hourly earnings of 2.7 percent.

(AP)