US unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.3% in April, the economy added 115,000 jobs, showing that the labour market is still holding steady regardless of slower hiring compared to previous years.
The latest data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showed job growth was stronger than economists had expected. Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg had predicted around 65,000 new jobs in April. March’s payroll gains were also revised higher to 185,000 from 178,000, while February’s figures were revised down to a loss of 156,000 jobs.
The report comes at a time when economists are closely watching for signs of weakening in the US labour market due to war situation. However, experts say slower job growth is no longer as worrying as before because an ageing population and lower immigration have reduced the number of jobs needed each month to keep unemployment stable.
Health care, transport and retail lead hiring
Most of the hiring in April came from health care, transportation and warehousing, and retail trade.
Health care added 37,000 jobs during the month, mainly in nursing and residential care facilities and home health care services.
Transportation and warehousing added 30,000 jobs, helped largely by strong hiring in courier and messenger services. Even with the monthly gain, employment in the sector remains lower than its February 2025 peak.
Retail trade added 22,000 jobs, with gains seen in warehouse clubs, supercenters, and garden and building supply stores. Some losses were reported in department stores and electronics retailers.
Social assistance also continued to grow, adding 17,000 jobs in April
Federal government and information sector continue to lose jobs. Federal government employment fell by 9,000 jobs in April and has declined by 348,000 jobs since October 2024.
The information sector also continued to shrink, losing 13,000 jobs during the month. Job cuts were reported in telecommunications, motion picture and sound recording industries, and data processing and web hosting services.
Most other major industries, including construction, manufacturing, finance, hospitality, and professional services, saw little change in hiring.
Wage growth remains moderate
Average hourly earnings for private-sector workers increased by 0.2% in April to $37.41. Compared to a year ago, wages are up 3.6%. The average workweek also increased slightly to 34.3 hours. At the same time, the number of people working part-time for economic reasons rose sharply by 445,000 to 4.9 million. These are workers who want full-time jobs but could not find them or had their hours reduced.
Labour force participation remains steady
The labour force participation rate remained unchanged at 61.8% in April, while the employment-population ratio held at 59.1%. The number of unemployed Americans stayed mostly unchanged at 7.4 million.
Among different groups, unemployment rates for men, women, teenagers, and major racial communities showed little movement during the month.
The number of long-term unemployed people those without work for 27 weeks or more remained at 1.8 million, making up about a quarter of all unemployed Americans.
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