WASHINGTON — America’s employers added a strong 272,000 jobs in May, accelerating from April and a sign that companies are still confident enough in the economy to keep hiring despite persistently high interest rates.

Last month’s sizable job gain suggests that the economy is still growing steadily, propelled by consumer spending on travel, entertainment and other services.

U.S. airports, for example, reported near-record traffic over the Memorial Day weekend. A healthy job market typically drives consumer spending, the economy’s principal fuel. Though some recent signs had raised concerns about economic weakness, the May jobs report should help assuage those fears.

Friday’s report from the government did include some signs of a potential slowdown. The unemployment rate, for instance, edged up for a second straight month, to a still-low 4%, from 3.9%, ending a 27-month streak of unemployment below 4%. That streak had matched the longest such run since the late 1960s.

President Joe Biden pointed to the jobs report as a sign of the economy’s robust health under his administration. He also charged that congressional Republicans would worsen inflation by cutting health care subsidies and widening the deficit through tax cuts.

The presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump, has focused his criticism of Biden’s economic policies on the inflation surge, which polls show still weighs heavily in voters’ assessment of the economy. At a rally Thursday in Phoenix, he blamed illegal immigration for causing higher prices, an assertion most economists reject.

Economists say the mixed signals from Friday’s report — a surge in jobs alongside a slight rise in unemployment — suggest that the job market is normalizing after years of distortions related to the pandemic. After the brutal pandemic recession, when unemployment rocketed to nearly 15%, hiring soared in 2022 and 2023 as the economy recovered. Wages, before adjusting for inflation, also jumped as businesses desperately sought workers.

“Employment growth is continuing at a solid pace, but there are ample signs that the heat in the labor market over the past few years largely has been removed,” said Sarah House, an economist at Wells Fargo.

The number of open jobs, while still elevated, has fallen to a three-year low. Fewer workers are quitting jobs. Many employers say it’s become easier to find workers to fill positions.

But growth in hourly paychecks accelerated last month, a welcome gain for workers but one that could contribute to stickier inflation. Wages rose 4.1% from a year ago, above the inflation rate. Some companies may raise their prices to offset their higher wage costs.

Last month’s hiring occurred broadly across most of the economy. But gains were particularly robust in health care, which added 84,000 jobs; and restaurants, hotels and entertainment providers, which gained 42,000. Governments added 43,000 positions. Professional and business services grew by 33,000.