US Job Growth Seen Slowing in April

2026-05-08 07:13 By Joana Taborda 1 min. read

The US economy likely added 62K jobs in April 2026, following a 178K increase in March, which marked the strongest payroll gain since December 2024.

While the figure would point to a moderation in hiring, it would also mark the first back-to-back monthly increase in employment in nearly a year, reinforcing signs that the US labor market is gradually cooling while remaining broadly resilient.

Healthcare and social assistance likely continued to drive job creation, while manufacturing payrolls are expected to post another increase.

Government employment, however, probably declined.

The report is also expected to show the unemployment rate holding steady at 4.3%.

Average hourly earnings likely rose 0.3% mom, slightly above March’s 0.2% increase.

On an annual basis, wage growth is projected to accelerate to 3.8% from 3.5%.

Analysts also note that it is still too early for any potential economic effects from the US-Israeli conflict with Iran to be reflected in the labor market data.



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The US economy likely added 62K jobs in April 2026, following a 178K increase in March, which marked the strongest payroll gain since December 2024. While the figure would point to a moderation in hiring, it would also mark the first back-to-back monthly increase in employment in nearly a year, reinforcing signs that the US labor market is gradually cooling while remaining broadly resilient. Healthcare and social assistance likely continued to drive job creation, while manufacturing payrolls are expected to post another increase. Government employment, however, probably declined. The report is also expected to show the unemployment rate holding steady at 4.3%. Average hourly earnings likely rose 0.3% mom, slightly above March’s 0.2% increase. On an annual basis, wage growth is projected to accelerate to 3.8% from 3.5%. Analysts also note that it is still too early for any potential economic effects from the US-Israeli conflict with Iran to be reflected in the labor market data.
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