More Americans were hired last month than at any time since 2006, evidence that economic growth could pick up momentum later this year.
Private employers created 268,000 jobs in April.
Private employers created 268,000 jobs in April, a report from the Labor Department showed on Friday, overshadowing the 24,000 jobs that were cut by the public sector in the same month.
It wasn't enough, though, to prevent the unemployment rate rising to 9pc from 8.8pc as more of the country's unemployed joined the hunt for work.
The anemic pace of job creation has been the Achilles heel of America's recovery from its worst recession since World War II.
The world's biggest economy has only replaced about 1.5 of the 8.5m jobs that went during the recession, with industries like construction unlikely to create new employment soon.
The report provides some evidence that companies' confidence to hire has withstood the marked slowing in gross domestic product in the first quarter of the year.
Stock markets rallied after the figures were published with the Dow Jones, FTSE 100, DAX and CAC rising between 0.4pc and 1.2pc. Equities have fallen this weak after earlier economic data raise doubts about the global economy.
Oil prices, which have fallen heavily this week on fears of falling demand and were trading as low as $105.15 earlier in the day, rose $2.88 to $113,69 as the dollar strengthened a basket of major currencies.
The rising dollar led to a fall in gold and a rise in hard-hit silver prices. Base metals also turned positive after the jobs data.
Barclays Capital said the metals sell-off had been overdone, and opened a buying opportunity. "Those who do not choose to take advantage of this window are likely to be disappointed later," it said in a note.
Estimates for the number of jobs created in February and March were revised higher to 235,000 and 216,000 respectively.
The Federal Reserve and President Barack Obama's administration have controversially continued to pursue monetary and fiscal stimulus in an effort to ensure the recovery is self-sustaining.
"Job creation is good. We're getting close to the point where we are seeing sustainable job growth," said Gary Thayer, a strategist at Wells Fargo Advisors. "We're getting close to the point where we're seeing sustainable job growth."
However, the report again underlined that the recovery in the jobs market is leaving many Americans behind. Almost six million people, or just under 44pc of the total without work, have been without a job for more than six months.
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