U.S. job growth was robust in April and the unemployment rate held steady, suggesting uncertainty over President Donald Trump's trade policy has yet to have a material impact on hiring plans and removing any impetus for the Federal Reserve
Nonfarm payrolls increased 177,000 last month after the prior two months' advances were revised lower, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Friday. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.2%.
Economists expected a gain of 138,000 jobs.
U.S. stock futures and Treasury yields rose following the release, while the dollar pared losses.
The report suggests the labor market continues to cool gradually, a sign that businesses facing heightened uncertainty around tariffs and turmoil in financial markets didn't significantly alter their hiring plans. Most economists anticipate the brunt of the impact from the levies will be seen in coming months.
Federal Reserve officials have indicated they're in no rush to cut rates until they get further clarity on the impact the administration's policies will have on the economy and are widely expected to leave their benchmark unchanged when they meet next week. While the central bank is an independent institution, Trump has been pressuring it to ease borrowing costs.
Payroll gains in April were broad based, led by the health care and transportation and warehousing sectors. Manufacturing shed jobs as the sector saw the steepest contraction in output since 2020.
The federal government cut jobs for a third month — the longest such streak since 2022 — reflecting efforts by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency to downsize the federal workforce and reduce government spending.
The government leads all U.S. industries in terms of layoffs in 2025, with most of the about 282,000 cuts seen this year being attributed to DOGE actions, outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said in a report Thursday. Economists contend at least half a million U.S. jobs could be on the line as federal spending cuts spread to contractors, universities and others who rely on government funding.
The participation rate — the share of the population that is working or looking for work — ticked up to 62.6% in April. The rate for those between the ages of 25 and 54, also known as prime-age workers, rose to the highest level in seven months.
Economists are also paying close attention to how labor supply and demand dynamics are affecting wage gains — especially with inflation risks heating up again. The report showed average hourly earnings rose 0.2% last month, marking a deceleration from March. From a year earlier, they rose 3.8%.
Other data are pointing to a more marked deterioration in labor-market conditions. Job openings fell in March to the lowest level since September, and a report on private hiring showed employers added the fewest payrolls in nine months in April.
Fed officials have been circumspect about adjusting their monetary policy stance in the face of widespread economic uncertainty. "It's just too soon to say what the appropriate monetary policy response to these new policies will be," Fed Chair Jerome Powell said in April. "Fast forward a year from now, the uncertainty will be much lower and the effects of the policies will be clear."
—Kyle Campbell contributed to this article.
