U.S. Employers Add 115,000 Jobs in April; Prior Months Revised Lower

U.S. nonfarm payrolls increased by 115,000 in April 2026, exceeding forecasters' expectations of 55,000 to 65,000 and marking the second straight month of solid gains despite the economic shock from the Iran war. 3 percent.

Revisions to prior months painted a more mixed picture, with March 2026 nonfarm payrolls revised upward to 185,000 while February 2026 jobs were revised to a loss of 156,000. S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, 2026.

Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz after the attacks, causing the biggest disruption of global oil supplies in history. S. 55 per gallon on May 8, 2026, according to AAA.

Health care and social assistance added 54,000 jobs in April 2026. That broke down to healthcare adding 37,000 jobs, transportation and warehousing adding 30,000, retail trade adding 22,000 and social assistance adding 17,000. Construction, manufacturing and professional services saw little change, while federal government employment continued to decline.

Information services lost 13,000 jobs in April 2026 and manufacturing lost 2,000. Information services has lost 342,000 jobs since November 2022, a decline of 11 percent over that period. 6 percent on an annual basis.

2 percent. 9 million. 8 percent.

Healthcare companies added 360,000 jobs over the 12 months ended in March 2026 while all other employers combined cut 120,000 jobs. S. employers created an average of 9,700 jobs per month in 2025. ADP reported private employers added 109,000 jobs in April 2026.

White House spokesman Kush Desai said: “The April jobs report smashing expectations thanks to robust private-sector growth is yet another sign that the American economy remains on a solid trajectory under President Trump. ” Alfredo Ortiz said the jobs boom can be traced to GOP tax cuts from last summer which made it easier for small businesses to start, expand, and hire.

” Diane Swonk warned that the healthcare hiring boom may not last due to expired ACA subsidies, slashed Medicaid spending, and a new $100,000 fee on H-1B visas.

Matthew Martin said the break-even point for new jobs to keep unemployment from rising is now near zero. Austan Goolsbee said the labor market has been stable for a year to a year and a half without being good. Scott Clemons said the report is evidence of the underlying resilience of the economy and labor market despite concerns about the Middle East, unemployment, inflation, and the Fed.

Dan North said he was looking through the report trying to find problems and it was fairly bulletproof this month.