May labor report: the job market blows past expectations
The US economy exceeded economists’ expectations, adding 172,000 new jobs in May, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate remained unchanged from April, holding at 4.3%.
Leisure and hospitality saw some of the largest job gains in May, with the addition of 70,000 new jobs.
Healthcare added 35,000 new roles. Most of these gains focused on ambulatory health care services (+26,000) and home health care services (+11,000). Hospitals also saw a positive trend in employment (+6,000).
Government gained 52,000 new jobs. A large share of these gains was concentrated in local government, which accounted for 44,000 of these roles (excluding education).
Professional and business services added 6,000 new roles.
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Source: May 2026 Monthly Jobs Report, Bureau of Labor Statistics
