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Slowed US job growth in April amidst economic ambiguity

Economy Brakes: U.S. Department of Labor's April Jobs Report Indicates Slowed Hiring Across the Nation Due to Economic Uncertainty and Policy Confusion.

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Sluggish job growth in the U.S. economy for April reported by the Department of Labor, driven by...
Sluggish job growth in the U.S. economy for April reported by the Department of Labor, driven by economic uncertainties and policy concerns over taxes and trade.

Yo, let's dive into the recent jobs report!

Slowed US job growth in April amidst economic ambiguity

Stock Market AnalysisHosts Mark Matson and Jonathan Corpina had a chat about the job market situation in the U.S.

The U.S. economy added 177,000 jobs in April, surpassing analysts' expectations, but slower than a month ago. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.2%, in line with predictions.

April's Job Numbers, RevisedMarch's job growth was revised down by 43,000, bringing the number of jobs added to 185,000. Similarly, February's job growth was revised down by 15,000, leaving a gain of 102,000. In total, employment in February and March was 58,000 lower than initially reported.

*PRIVATE SECTOR WELL BELOW EXPECTATIONS*Private sector payrolls grew by only 62,000 jobs, significantly less than the projected 125,000.

Government Payrolls IncreaseGovernment jobs increased by 10,000 in April, with gains in state and local government positions offsetting declines in the federal government.

Manufacturing Sector DownManufacturing employment decreased by 1,000 jobs, a smaller decrease than predicted by analysts[1].

Healthcare BoostHealthcare employment surged by 50,600 jobs, mainly driven by hospitals and ambulatory healthcare services.

Transport and Warehousing GainTransportation and warehousing jobs increased by 29,000, with solid gains in warehousing, courier services, and air transportation.

Financial Activities UpFinancial activities added 14,000 jobs, increasing the sector's gain over the last year to 103,000.

Social Assistance Slows DownSocial assistance job growth slowed to 7,600 in April compared to the average gain of 20,000 over the past 12 months.

Participation Rate StableThe labor force participation rate remained at 62.6%, having been relatively unchanged over the past year.

*JOBLESS RATE RISES, PART-TIME WORKERS STABLE*The number of long-term unemployed, those out of work for 27 weeks or more, increased by 179,000 to 1.7 million. The portion of unemployed individuals who were long-term unemployed accounted for 23.5% of all unemployed people.

There were still 4.7 million workers employed part-time for economic reasons, a figure that remained stable[4].

** private sector evening out in April 2025 with only 62k jobs added, ADP says[1][2][3]For April 2025, the ADP National Employment Report showed that private sector job growth was lower than expected, with 160,000 jobs added, according to the consensus forecast[1]. However, the actual figure stood at 62,000, significantly smaller than the prediction[1][2][3].

*THE REPORTING COLLECTED DATA DURING A PEAK OF TARIFF UNCERTAINTY*Elyse Ausenbaugh, head of investment strategy at JPMorgan Wealth Management, noted the survey data used to generate the report were collected during the second week of April 2021, a time when there was a great deal of uncertainty surrounding tariffs[5]. Despite this, the broader labor market remained strong overall.

Ausenbaugh [5] suggested that the impact of trade policies and recent job cuts was not yet evident in April's figures, but implied the situation might become apparent in future reports.

  1. In April, JPMorgan analysts announced that the U.S. economy added 177,000 jobs, surpassing expectations but slower than the previous month, while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.2%.
  2. Even though the private sector added jobs below expectations, reaching 62,000, the overall growth in financial activities was 14,000, boosting the sector's gain over the past year to 103,000.
  3. In April 2025, the ADP National Employment Report showed that the private sector job growth was lower than expected, with only 62,000 jobs added, according to the consensus forecast.
  4. JPMorgan Wealth Management noted that the data used to generate the April 2021 jobs report were collected during a peak of tariff uncertainty, but the broader labor market remained stable overall.
  5. Economic uncertainties, such as a possible impact of trade policies and recent job cuts, might become evident in future job reports, according to JPMorgan Wealth Management's Head of Investment Strategy, Elyse Ausenbaugh.
  6. Regardless of the tariff uncertainties, the average labor force participation rate remained relatively unchanged at 62.6%, and the number of workers employed part-time for economic reasons also remained stable.

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