FG Construction will display “Now Hiring!” Signed during the Mega Job News USA South Florida Job Fair held at Amerant Bank Arena on April 30, 2026 in Sunrise, Florida.
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Job creation in April exceeded expectations, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday, as the U.S. labor market continued to defy expectations for an economic slowdown this year.
Nonfarm payrolls rose by a seasonally adjusted 115,000 jobs in the month, down from an unusually strong March of 185,000, but above the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 55,000.
The unemployment rate remains at 4.3%, further proof that the labor market is reaching the point where only moderate job creation is needed to stabilize the unemployment rate, given little growth in the labor force.
Average hourly wages, another closely watched indicator of labor market health, were weaker than expected, rising 0.2% on a monthly basis and 3.6% on an annual basis, compared to estimates of 0.3% and 3.8%, respectively.
Following recent trends, healthcare led the way with 37,000 new jobs, but several other sectors also saw increases.
Transport and warehousing increased by 30,000 jobs, retail by 22,000 and social assistance by 17,000.
On the downside, the information services sector lost 13,000 jobs, part of a continuing trend that has seen the sector lose 342,000 jobs since November 2022 due to the impact of artificial intelligence, according to the BLS. This equates to a loss of 11% of jobs during this period.
The broader measure, which includes disengaged workers and those in part-time work for financial reasons, rose 0.2 percentage points to 8.2%.
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