May 4, 2019 - Overall since April 2018, the mining industry has added 5,900 jobs.

Unemployment in the U.S. mining industry, excluding oil and gas extraction, fell slightly in April after fourth months of straight job gains, the Labor Department reported Friday.

Excluding oil and gas extraction, the total number of mining jobs now stands at 195,700.

The number of net industry jobs dropped by 200 from last month for a total of 195,700, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Overall since April 2018, the mining industry has added 5,900 jobs.

Coal mining jobs fell by 400 to 52,400, but metal ore mining jobs rose by 200 to 41,400. Nonmetallic mineral mining and quarrying remained unchanged at 101,900. But support activities payrolls saw the biggest drop among the sub-categories, losing 1,400 jobs for a total of 359,800.

The oil and gas extraction sector saw no new job gains, remaining unchanged at 152,500.

U.S. jobs report shows April payrolls handily beat the consensus estimate as unemployment rate falls

U.S. non-farm payroll employment increased by 263,000 in April, compared with a consensus estimate of 180,000.

The unemployment rate fell to 3.6%, the lowest rate since December 1969. The government noted job gains in professional and business services, construction, health care, and social assistance.

The April payrolls outpaced the 196,000 jobs created in March. For 2019, January marked the best gains so far, with payrolls swelling by 311,000.

Following the jobs report, the Dow Jones Industrial Average increased by 151 points, or 0.58%, to 26,460.