The Conference Board’s U.S. employment trends index rose 0.8 percent in April to a reading of 108.04 from March’s revised reading of 107.18. The April figure is also up 7.1 percent from the same month a year ago.

“The growth in the employment trends index in recent months is signaling moderate improvements in employment,” said Gad Levanon, director of macroeconomic research at The Conference Board. “We did not expect employment growth in December to February, averaging almost 250,000 a month, to continue. However, the disappointing job gain in April is probably below the current trend and should pick up to about 150,000 to 175,000 jobs a month through the summer.”