Employers Added 115,000 Jobs in April, Above Expectations

U.S. employers reported adding 115,000 jobs in April — a figure well above expectations — according to the latest employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Economists had predicted that roughly 55,000 jobs would be added.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate stayed unchanged at 4.3%, and the number of unemployed people changed little at 7.4 million.

The figure indicates continued growth for the labor market, although it is below last month’s figures, which showed that 185,000 jobs were created in March.

Although the report points to signs of labor market stability, U.S. worker optimism remains near a record low.

Following recent current events — including the stronger-than-expected March jobs report and oil prices rising above $100 per barrel — 42% of U.S. workers expressed some degree of optimism about the future of the U.S., according to an April pulse survey from SHRM. That remains well below the high of 65% recorded in November 2024. Meanwhile, 58% of workers said they feel some degree of pessimism about the future of the country, consistent with March levels and significantly higher than the 35% low seen in November 2024.

Industry Breakdown

Job gains occurred in health care, transportation and warehousing, and retail trade, while federal government employment continued to decline, the BLS reported.

Health care was responsible for much of the employment growth in April, with the sector adding 37,000 jobs. Transportation and warehousing employment increased by 30,000 in April. However, employment in transportation and warehousing is down by 105,000 since reaching a peak in February 2025.

Retail trade added 22,000 jobs in April.

Federal government employment continued to decline in April, losing 9,000 jobs.