Service-sector jobs continued to grow at a rapid pace in April, driving up wages and making it increasingly difficult for employers in the Washington region to recruit qualified workers, according to national employment indicators released Tuesday.

The data, released by theSociety for Human Resource Management and Rutgers University, forecasted continued growth across the nation, with nearly 57 percent of employers indicating plans to hire new workers in May. While the addition of new workers is good for the unemployment rate, the expanding job market has made it more difficult for firms to hire quality employees.