US Jobless?

Here’s the latest on the U.S. May jobs report as of Friday, June 6, 2025:

📈 May 2025 Jobs Report (Released June 6)

1. Nonfarm Payrolls

• +139,000 jobs added, slightly above forecasts (~130,000) but below the 12‑month average (~149,000)  .

• Revisions: March and April combined were 95,000 fewer than originally reported (March down by 65,000; April down by 30,000) .

2. Unemployment Rate

• Held steady at 4.2%, matching expectations .

• Labor force participation slightly decreased (~62.4%) .

3. Sector Highlights

• Healthcare: +62,000 jobs .

• Leisure & Hospitality: +48,000 jobs .

• Social Assistance: +16,000 jobs .

• Federal Government: –22,000 jobs .

4. Wages & Hours

• Average hourly earnings rose by 0.4% monthly, +3.9% over past year, averaging $36.24/hr .

• Average workweek remained steady at 34.3 hours .

📌 Market & Fed Implications

• Markets rallied: Equity futures climbed, Treasury yields rose (~10‑year yield ~4.46%) on signs of economic resilience .

• Federal Reserve stance: The Fed is likely to hold rates steady at their June 17–18 meeting, with markets pushing a possible first rate cut by September, then maybe December .

• Trade uncertainty: Growth slowed partly due to tariff-related business hesitation .

✍️ Summary

Indicator May (2025) Note

Nonfarm Payrolls +139,000 jobs Slower growth vs avg +149K but above forecasts

Unemployment Rate 4.2% Unchanged

Wage Growth +0.4% MoM, +3.9% YoY Strong wage pressure

Notable Gains +62K Healthcare, +48K Leisure & Hospitality

Federal Govt Jobs –22,000 Ongoing reductions

Average Workweek 34.3 hours Unchanged

✅ Bottom Line

The U.S. labor market shows signs of moderate cooling, not collapse. Job growth is slowing, but wages are rising and unemployment remains low. This supports a case for the Fed to stay on hold in June, with cuts now expected later in the year—assuming trade tensions don’t worsen and inflation continues to ease.