May's Job Boom: 272,000 New Jobs, Unemployment Steady at 4%

The Facts -

• Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 272,000 in May. 
• The unemployment rate remained largely unchanged at 4.0 percent. 
• Job growth persisted across multiple sectors like health care, government, leisure and hospitality, and professional, scientific, and technical services.

May's Employment Situation Summary

In May, the U.S. saw an increase of 272,000 jobs, maintaining an unemployment rate of 4.0%. Key sectors such as health care, government, leisure and hospitality, and professional services experienced notable growth in employment.

Health care added 68,000 jobs, in line with the previous year's average. Government employment increased by 43,000, matching the 12-month trend. Leisure and hospitality sectors continued their upward trajectory with a gain of 42,000 jobs, particularly in food services.

Professional, scientific, and technical services saw a significant increase of 32,000 jobs, though specialized design services experienced a slight decline. Social assistance employment rose by 15,000 jobs.

Retail trade added 13,000 jobs, with notable gains in specific sectors but losses in others. Across other industries, employment remained relatively stable.

Average hourly earnings for private nonfarm employees increased by 0.4%, reaching $34.91, with a 4.1% increase over the past year. The average workweek remained steady at 34.3 hours.

May's job report reflects steady growth across sectors, with notable gains in health care and hospitality.

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