Job gains were steady in April, but wage growth continued to weaken
Below, EPI senior economist Elise Gould offers her insights on the jobs report released this morning, which showed 115,000 jobs added in April. Read the full thread here.
Today’s jobs report came in stronger than expected as payrolls increased by 115,000 in April. As a result, average monthly growth the last three months was 48,000 jobs. The unemployment rate held steady as both labor force participation and the employment level dropped slightly.
#NumbersDay #EconSKy— Elise Gould (@elisegould.bsky.social) May 8, 2026 at 7:37 AM
Overall job gains were 115k in April. Job gains were strongest in health care. transportation and warehousing, and retail trade. Losses continue in information, financial activities, and the federal government.
#NumbersDay #EconSky— Elise Gould (@elisegould.bsky.social) May 8, 2026 at 7:50 AM
The federal workforce continues to suffer down another 9,000 jobs in April. Federal employment has shrunk an alarming 345k jobs since Jan 2025. The vital services federal employees provide cannot be done without these essential workers.
Note: Federal employees on furlough are counted as employed.
— Elise Gould (@elisegould.bsky.social) May 8, 2026 at 7:56 AM
After finally seeing some reversal of grave losses in recent months, manufacturing employment ticked down again in April. Since January 2025 when Trump took office, the manufacturing sector has lost 77,000 jobs.
#EconSky #NumbersDay
— Elise Gould (@elisegould.bsky.social) May 8, 2026 at 7:59 AM
Nominal wage growth continued to slow in April. Over the last three months, wages have growth only 2.8% (annualized). The one-month change was even slower (1.9%).
As inflation rises, real wages fall as workers and their families find it increasingly difficult to make ends meet.
#EconSky #NumbersDay— Elise Gould (@elisegould.bsky.social) May 8, 2026 at 8:12 AM
Overall unemployment masks important differences by race and ethnicity. The Black unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 7.3% in April. Even given volatility due to smaller sample sizes, it’s clear that the Black unemployment rate remains elevated, particularly much higher than any other group.
— Elise Gould (@elisegould.bsky.social) May 8, 2026 at 8:33 AM
With a depressed hires rate, I’ve been concerned about young people having opportunities to break into the labor market. The unemployment rate of young workers—16-24 years old—ticked up again in April, once again hitting 9.5%
#EconSky #NumbersDay— Elise Gould (@elisegould.bsky.social) May 8, 2026 at 8:37 AM
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