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.