Employers in the United States added 139,000 workers to their payrolls in May, the Department of Labor said Friday, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.2 percent.

Economists had been expecting 125,000 jobs and an unemployment rate unchanged at 4.2 percent.

President Donald Trump’s program of shrinking the federal government is showing signs of progress. Employment in the federal government fell by 22,000 in May and is down 59,000 since January.

The private sector added 140,000 jobs, more than the 120,000 forecast. The services sector expanded by 145,000 jobs while the good producing side of the economy contracted by 5,000. Manufacturing employment contracted by 8,000 jobs but the prior month’s figure was revised up from a loss of 1,000 to a gain of 5,000.

Over the past 12 mon

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