WASHINGTON (AP) — Hiring has picked up in the past several months, and another strong job gain could boost hopes that the U.S. economy has rebounded after a grim start to the year.

Economists forecast that employers added 220,000 jobs in May, according to FactSet. That would be below April’s burst of hiring, when 288,000 jobs were added, the most in 2½ years. But it would still be near the monthly average gain this year of 214,000 jobs.