The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its May employment report on Friday, showing a spike of 431,000 new jobs. But there is a catch on exactly what type of work these numbers reflect -- 411,000 of the 431,000 increase are temporary government Census workers.

The unemployment rate in May dropped from 9.9 percent in April to 9.7 percent. But economists note that 286,000 workers left the labor force because many gave up on finding a job, effectively reducing the labor force participation rate.

By contrast, hiring by private employers -- the backbone of the economy -- slowed dramatically. They added just 41,000 jobs, down from 218,000 in April and the fewest since January. To prevent the unemployment rate from increasing, about 125,000 new jobs are needed each month...