The unemployment rate in the United States declined to 5.1 percent in May from 5.2 percent in April, the Labor Department reported on Friday.

It was the lowest jobless rate in the country since September 2001.

However, the report showed that US employers increased hiring only by 78,000 jobs last month, the most sluggish pace of payroll expansion in nearly two years. The small payroll gain in last month followed a hiring spurt of 274,000 in April.

US factory jobs dropped by 7,000 in May and the leisure sector lost 6,000 positions. But service-sector jobs increased by 64,000 and construction section also increased 20,000 jobs last month.

The jobless rate has kept its downturn trend in the past two years as the US economy is increasing rapidly, experts say.

The US unemployment rate is calculated on the basis of a survey of 60,000 households.

Source: Xinhua