The unemployment rate in the United States has risen to 9.9% despite strong job growth in the past month.
Employers hired 290,000 workers in April, the largest monthly increase in jobs in four years.
President Barack Obama said the US economy has been growing now for the better part of a year.
He played down the increase in overall unemployment, saying that improving economic conditions means more Americans are back actively looking for work.
Jobs growth numbers for February and March were also revised up.
However, the ABC reports economists caution that America's unemployment rate will remain above 9% for some time.
