Leadership Conference on Civil Rights

The economy lost 20,000 jobs in April, the fourth consecutive month of decline, the government reported on Friday. But the drop was not as sharp as expected, a sign that the economy’s decline may be moderating.

Economists had been bracing for a decline of up to 85,000 jobs, in line with the rate of losses over the first three months of the year. Instead, the Labor Department reported that the services sector recorded a surge of new jobs in April.