Fed's Lacker says April jobs report was strong

Jeffrey Lacker, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, said on Friday that he viewed the U.S. jobs report for April as strong after government data showed 165,000 new jobs were created last month.

Noting the U.S. job creation had averaged 200,000 a month over the last six months, the arch-hawk Lacker also said there was no question the outlook for the U.S. labor market had improved substantially, echoing the language the Fed has said it would use to decide when to taper or end its bond purchases.

Lacker opposes the bond buying, which the Fed voted on Wednesday to maintain at a $85 billion monthly pace.

(Reporting by Alister Bull)