Area job growth hit pothole in April

Nashville-area employers finished April having added just 2,000 people versus the March figure, with to a number of important sectors actually shedding jobs.

After months in the red thanks to the massive job losses from the year-ago spread of COVID-19, Middle Tennessee’s nonfarm employment ended April 1,024,300, up an eye-popping 11.8 percent from the mark of a year ago, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But the small month-over-month gain mirrored the surprisingly small national gain posted in April and, in addition, March’s initial estimate for the Nashville area was revised down by 1,100 jobs to 1,022,300.