10 things you need to know today: May 4, 2013

The unemployment rate hits a 4-year low, a California wildfire spreads, and more

Forestry fire fighters battle a wall of flames on May 2.
(Image credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

1. U.S. EMPLOYERS ADD 165,000 NEW JOBS IN APRIL

The latest jobs report shows that U.S. companies added 165,000 jobs in April and 114,000 more jobs in February and March than the Labor Department had previously estimated. That drove unemployment down to 7.5 percent, the lowest rate in four years. On a pessimistic note, most of the jobs added were in low-paying fields like restaurants and retail. [Associated Press]

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Keith Wagstaff is a staff writer at TheWeek.com covering politics and current events. He has previously written for such publications as TIME, Details, VICE, and the Village Voice.