US unemployment rate drops to 13.3% in May

courtneyk/iStockBy CATHERINE THORBECKE, ABC News

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. unemployment rate fell to 13.3% in May, slightly below the April high of 14.7%, according to data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The U.S. economy added 2.5 million jobs last month, according to the data, as economic activity slowly resumes following coronavirus pandemic shut downs.

In February, prior to the health crisis, the unemployment rate was at a historic low of 3.5%.

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