U.S. jobs beat forecasts; healthcare leads hiring

The U.S. added 115,000 jobs in April, beating forecasts. Unemployment stayed at 4.3%. Healthcare led hiring, while tech lost jobs due to AI. Wage growth lagged inflation.

The U.S. employment report for April revealed stronger-than-expected job growth, with 115,000 positions added—nearly double analysts’ forecasts of 62,000. The unemployment rate remained steady at 4.3%. Healthcare led job creation, followed by transportation, leisure, and hospitality sectors. In contrast, information services experienced job losses, largely due to automation and artificial intelligence advancements. Annual wage growth ranged from 3.6% to 3.8%, still trailing inflation, which is close to 4%. The report comes amid economic uncertainty, with the Federal Reserve maintaining interest rates and markets watching for policy shifts. Revisions showed March payrolls increased, while February figures were corrected downward. The U.S. labor market remains resilient despite ongoing challenges.