The US economy added 177,000 jobs in April, showing continued strength despite growing uncertainty, according to CNN's report which highlights the surprising resilience in the labor market. This job growth exceeded economists' expectations of 135,000 jobs, while the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.2%. The CNN analysis points out that April's job gains were stronger than the average pace of monthly growth in the prior three months, demonstrating the labor market's persistent strength.
Private education and health services led job creation with 70,000 new positions, followed by transportation and warehousing with 29,000 jobs and leisure and hospitality adding 24,000 positions. However, as CNN notes, some sectors did experience job losses, with the federal government shedding 9,000 jobs, while retailers and manufacturers lost 1,800 and 1,000 jobs respectively.
The job growth in April extended the streak of US employment growth to 52 months, as reported by the New York Times, which emphasized these numbers were collected just after Trump implemented the highest tariffs since the 1930s. The positive economic news prompted a market reaction, with major stock indexes opening higher - both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite rising about 1 percent at the start of trading.
According to economists quoted in the Times coverage, this jobs report shows "no real tangible signs of any impact from the trade war in hiring," though many analysts believe the full effects of tariffs will only become apparent in the coming months. The New York Times report highlights that average hourly earnings grew 3.8% over the past year, outpacing inflation and maintaining a solid trend that began in mid-2023.
This jobs report follows President Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff announcement in early April that triggered significant market volatility, as ABC News reporting details the economic turbulence that followed. After the jobs data release, Trump took to social media to celebrate the figures while continuing to pressure the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, according to ABC's coverage of the president's reactions.
The jobs data arrives just days after a government report showed the US economy shrank by 0.3% in the first quarter of 2025, a sharp drop from 2.4% growth in late 2024. Despite this concerning GDP figure, ABC News notes that the labor market has been a bright spot since Trump took office, with the US adding an average of 170,000 jobs monthly this year while maintaining low unemployment. The Trump administration, as ABC reports, has largely refused to rule out a recession possibility, with the president arguing that America might experience short-term pain but will ultimately benefit from more favorable international trade rules, having previously stated, "We have been ripped off by every country in the world practically."
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/02/economy/what-to-expect-from-fridays-jobs-report
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/05/02/business/jobs-report-april-economy
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