Stories

Fri, 08 May 2026

Fri, 08 May 2026 US jobs data beats expectations for second month in a row

The solid figures came despite rising gas prices and economic uncertainty sparked by the Iran war.

* US economy created 115,000 jobs in April, exceeding expectations
* Unemployment rate remained at 4.3%
* Job growth was stronger than expected, with total almost twice as much as economists forecast
* Solid employment figures add to expectations that Federal Reserve will keep interest rates on hold
* Revisions to previous months' figures show average job creation of 48,000 over last three months
* Better-than-expected jobs figures lifted major US stock indexes
* Economists point to mixed signals in the report, including slow wage growth and contraction in jobs market