April Jobs Data Defies Slowdown Hopes with 115k Gain
U.S. payrolls rose by 115,000 in April, beating estimates and keeping the unemployment rate at 4.3%; average hourly earnings rose 0.2% for the month and 3.6% year over year. Healthcare led hiring with 37,000 new jobs, with gains also in transportation/warehousing, retail, and social assistance. Information services fell by 13,000 as AI pressures persist, and the broader U-6 unemployment measure rose to 8.2%.