U.S. Job Growth Remains Steady in April
The U.S. economy saw an increase of 115,000 jobs in April, while the unemployment rate stayed constant at 4.3%. This suggests that economic momentum is persisting.
Experts had initially forecasted a much lower addition of 55,000 jobs, and it seems the unemployment rate was anticipated to hold steady as well.
Meanwhile, the previous forecast for February was adjusted downward, now showing a deficit of 156,000 jobs, a reduction of 23,000. However, March’s job growth was revised upward by 7,000, shifting from an earlier increase estimate of 178,000 to 185,000. The labor market is still experiencing fluctuations, with some months showing job growth and others indicating declines. Interestingly, April marked the first consecutive monthly uptick in nearly a year.
Once again, the private sector played a crucial role in this employment growth, adding 123,000 jobs. Year over year, private sector employment has risen by over 500,000 positions.
On the public side, employment decreased by 8,000 positions, which seems to align with President Donald Trump’s initiatives aimed at re-privatizing the economy. While state and local job numbers saw a slight increase, federal employment dropped by 9,000. Since reaching a peak under President Joe Biden, federal job numbers have fallen by 348,000, translating to an 11.5% decline.
The health and social assistance sector continued to lead job creation, adding 53,900 positions, with healthcare alone contributing 37,000 jobs.
In the durable goods manufacturing sector, job numbers grew by 2,000, while non-durable goods manufacturing saw a decrease of 4,000. It’s interesting to note that technology jobs have been on a downturn; perhaps this is related to the rise of artificial intelligence, as there was a decline of 13,000 tech jobs in April. Since hitting a peak in November 2022, information-related jobs have decreased by 342,000, or 11.0%.
The film industry faced challenges as well, with 6,000 jobs lost in April due to ongoing struggles in Hollywood.
Transportation and warehousing jobs rose by 30,000 in April, although they’re still lagging behind the peak seen in February 2025.
In retail, there was an overall increase of 21,800 jobs, with gains observed in warehouse clubs, supercenters, general merchandise stores, as well as building materials and garden supplies. However, home electronics retailers and department stores experienced job losses.
The average hourly wage for private nonfarm employees grew by 6 cents, or 0.2%, reaching $37.41. Over the past year, wages have risen by 3.6%, notably outpacing inflation. For production and nonsupervisory roles, the average hourly wage increased by 11 cents (0.3%) to $32.23.
Currently, the U.S. labor market is experiencing a significant shift, stepping away from reliance on an immigrant workforce. Economists suggest that, despite weaker job data compared to previous years, it might actually point to healthy growth in today’s context. Many are estimating that the “break-even” rate for employment growth—essentially the number needed to keep unemployment stable—might now be as low as zero. In contrast, during the period of increased immigration between 2021 and 2024, over 100,000 new jobs were necessary each month just to keep pace with labor force expansion.
Additionally, retirement trends among the baby boomer generation are constraining labor force growth, as the smaller subsequent generations aren’t fully filling the gaps left behind.
