According to Gallup’s recently released Job Creation Index for April, job growth appears to be up in the private sector with more workers reporting that their employers are hiring rather than firing, bringing the private sector index to +25. In contrast, more government employees report higher levels of firing than hiring, bringing its index down to -7. Regionally, the South is experiencing the best market conditions, with 38% of those surveyed reporting that their employers are hiring and only 15% reporting that their employers are laying off workers. The East is faring the worst. It has the lowest Job Creation Index in the U.S. with +16. In the East, only 34% report that their employers are hiring whereas 18% report that their employers are letting go of workers. Nationwide, the Job Creation Index is up from +18 in March to +20 as of April, with 36% reporting that their employers are hiring, the highest figure since August 2008.