Been paid for giving 20 or more presentations in the prior 12 months.

This was not a record low, but it was down from $25 for the prior 12 months.

However, home prices showed a slight dip from the prior month and remain below year ago levels.

But fewer Americans lost their jobs than in the prior three months.

That's down slightly from the March total of 816, but well above the average of 452 for the prior three months.

Job growth the prior two months had been powerful.

In addition, the jobs total for the prior two months was raised by 42,000.

The production index fell to 62.7 in April from 64 the prior month.

A downward correction was expected, after rising by nearly 10pc the prior month.

But the average remains much lower than it was during the prior 18 months, when businesses added almost 200,000 jobs a month.