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The Labor Department’s June Jobs Report showed an encouraging 850,000 added positions, well above Bloomberg’s reported consensus forecast of 720,000. Payroll increases were aided by the continued easing of social distancing measures across the US, increases in the vaccination rate, and a growing number of states ending additional unemployment benefits. Sectors hard hit by the pandemic drove monthly gains as leisure and hospitality and retail employment accounted for a little under half (48%) of the total monthly gain.