Retail Adds 22,000 Jobs in April, Led by Warehouse Clubs, as Consumer Sentiment Hits Record Lows

U.S. job growth, according to preliminary federal data released Friday from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 5 million employees now hold retail industry jobs, the highest level since July 2024.

Warehouse clubs and supercenters drove the sector's hiring that month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said, even as department stores and sellers of electronics and appliances saw payrolls shrink. The labor market gained 38,000 courier and messenger jobs in April, representing roughly a third of all positions added in the month.

That gain partly compensated for jobs lost earlier this year due to weather.

Retailers posted their highest volume of monthly job openings since 2023 in March, according to preliminary government data. The sector's number of openings spiked 48 percent from the same month a year ago, even as the economy-wide total number of job listings fell from the same month a year ago.

Cnbc reported that the hiring surge reflects growing optimism that consumers will keep spending despite economic shocks.

"This still shows how resilient spending has been, even amid a lot of the uncertainty," said Cory Stahle, senior economist at job search platform Indeed. Stahle noted it marked a reversal from 2025, when companies worried that President Donald Trump's tariffs would create cost pressures and lead to a pullback in demand. "There were a lot of employers holding their breath last year," he said.

Yet warnings signs emerged even as hiring continued. U.S. on Wednesday as the Iran War battered consumer confidence. " The University of Michigan reported another record low consumer sentiment reading on Friday.

Sentiment was hurt by the rising price of gas caused by the war, according to survey director Joanne Hsu. The price of gasoline at multiyear highs could push drivers to curtail discretionary spending, Stahle said. If that happens, the economist warned that the retail sector might undo some of its recent labor force expansion to account for sliding demand.

"We're seeing some potential growth," Stahle said. "But the Iran War and a lot of these other things are looming.