The latest job report for April provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of employment in the United States. 

April’s Key Findings

In April 2025, total nonfarm payroll employment grew by 177,000 jobs, consistent with the monthly average of 152,000 jobs over the past year. The unemployment rate remained steady at 4.2 percent. 

Key sectors include:

• Healthcare
• Transportation & Warehousing
• Financial Activities
• Social Assistance

Sector-Specific Employment Changes

Employment trends in April varied across industries, with notable gains in several key sectors. 

Healthcare

Health care added 51,000 positions, driven by gains in hospitals and ambulatory care services. 

Transportation & Warehousing

Transportation and warehousing increased by 29,000 jobs, with notable growth in warehousing, couriers, and air transportation. 

Financial Activities

Financial activities grew by 14,000 jobs. The industry has added 103,000 jobs since its employment trough in April 2024.

Social Assistance

Social assistance rose by 8,000 jobs, albeit at a slower pace compared to the previous year’s monthly average. 

Other Sectors

Conversely, federal government employment declined by 9,000 jobs, bringing total losses in the sector to 26,000 jobs since January.

Unemployment Rates

The household survey data indicates that the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.2 percent, consistent with the narrow range of 4.0 to 4.2 percent observed since May 2024. Approximately 7.2 million people were unemployed, showing little movement from previous months.

Breaking down unemployment by demographic groups, adult men and women had rates of 4.0 percent and 3.7 percent, respectively. Teenagers experienced a significantly higher unemployment rate at 12.9 percent. Among racial and ethnic groups, the white population had an unemployment rate of 3.8 percent, the black population had a rate of 6.3 percent, Asians 3.0 percent, and Hispanics 5.2 percent, with none showing significant changes compared to prior data.

The number of long-term unemployed, or those without a job for 27 weeks or more, increased by 179,000 to reach 1.7 million, making up 23.5 percent of all unemployed individuals. This highlights a growing portion of unemployed individuals facing extended periods without work.

Wage Growth & Average Workweek

The average hourly wages for private nonfarm employees rose by 6 cents, reaching $36.06, reflecting a 3.8 percent increase over the past year. For private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees, average hourly earnings increased by 10 cents to $31.06. These figures point to steady, though modest, growth in wages.

The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls remained unchanged at 34.3 hours. Within manufacturing, the average workweek edged down slightly by 0.2 hours to 40.0 hours, while overtime remained stable at 2.9 hours. The workweek for production and nonsupervisory employees across all private nonfarm sectors also held steady at 33.8 hours.

Updates To Prior Months' Employment Data

The April 2025 Jobs Report includes revised employment figures for February and March 2025, reflecting updated data from businesses and government agencies as well as recalculated seasonal adjustments. The nonfarm payroll employment increase for February was revised down by 15,000 jobs, reducing the originally reported gain of 117,000 jobs to 102,000 jobs. Similarly, the March figure was revised downward by 43,000 jobs, changing the previously reported increase of 228,000 jobs to 185,000 jobs. These adjustments resulted in a combined reduction of 58,000 jobs across the two months.

These revisions highlight the routine process of incorporating additional information into employment estimates to improve accuracy. The updated data accounts for reports received after initial estimates and seasonal adjustments recalculated to reflect patterns in hiring and employment more effectively. Such revisions are a regular feature of labor market reporting and ensure a more precise understanding of employment trends over time.

For further reading, check out our other blogs on topics related to the job market.

Are you looking for top talent? Reach out to us today to get started.

Looking for your next career change? Explore our open jobs today.