#usadds115kjobs The U.S. economy added 115,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in April 2026, significantly above market expectations of roughly 55,000–67,000 jobs, while the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.3%. (The Guardian)
Key details from the report:
Healthcare remained the biggest driver of hiring, alongside transportation, warehousing, retail trade, and social assistance. (The Washington Post)
Federal government employment and the information/tech sector continued to lose jobs. (New York Post)
Average hourly earnings rose 3.6% year-over-year, but monthly wage growth slowed to 0.2%, suggesting easing wage pressure. (The Washington Post)
Labor-force participation slipped to 61.8%, its lowest level since 2021, helping keep unemployment stable. (Moneycontrol)
The broader U-6 unemployment measure rose to 8.2%, indicating softer conditions beneath the headline numbers. (Moneycontrol)
Markets interpreted the report as evidence that the labor market remains resilient despite inflation pressure and geopolitical uncertainty tied to the Iran conflict. The stronger-than-expected payrolls also reduced expectations for near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts. (The Guardian)