(Seattle Municipal Archives, Creative Commons)

The U.S. economy added a total of 203,000 new jobs, CNN Money reports. Big hiring gains were made in both low- and high-paying sectors.

Economists are optimistic: the U.S. has now gained back 7.4 million of the nearly 9 million jobs lost in the aftermath of the recession. But job competition remains stiff, particularly in urban areas where too many people are vying for a limited number of low-paying jobs.

Read the full story at CNN Money.

Reach Executive Producer Francesca Bessey here.