Jobs report
The May 2026 jobs report in charts
Employers added 63,000 jobs in May 2026, by the latest estimate, after adding 148,000 in April 2026. Over the 12 months to May 2026 they added an average of 30,000 a month. The unemployment rate was 4.3%, the same as 4.3% in April 2026 and the same as 4.3% in May 2025. Average hourly pay was $37.49, 3.3% more than a year earlier, while consumer prices rose 4.2% in the 12 months to May 2026, so pay fell behind prices.
Jobs added in May
63,000
Added 30,000 a month over 12 months
Unemployment rate
4.3%
The same as 4.3% in April 2026
Hourly pay, change over 12 months
3.3%
$37.49 an hour on average
Jobs added each month, May 2024 to May 2026
The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are in the table below.
The unemployment rate, May 2024 to May 2026
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How fast hourly pay is rising, May 2024 to May 2026
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The numbers
Each month to May 2026, newest first. A dash means BLS published no figure.
| Month | Jobs added | Unemployment rate | Hourly pay, 12-month change |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | 63,000 | 4.3% | 3.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 148,000 | 4.3% | 3.6% |
| Mar 2026 | 214,000 | 4.3% | 3.4% |
| Feb 2026 | -156,000 | 4.4% | 3.7% |
| Jan 2026 | 160,000 | 4.3% | 3.7% |
| Dec 2025 | -17,000 | 4.4% | 3.7% |
| Nov 2025 | 41,000 | 4.5% | 3.9% |
| Oct 2025 | -140,000 | โ | 3.9% |
| Sep 2025 | 76,000 | 4.4% | 3.8% |
| Aug 2025 | -70,000 | 4.3% | 4.0% |
| Jul 2025 | 64,000 | 4.3% | 4.0% |
| Jun 2025 | -20,000 | 4.1% | 3.9% |
| May 2025 | 13,000 | 4.3% | 4.0% |
| Apr 2025 | 108,000 | 4.2% | 3.9% |
| Mar 2025 | 67,000 | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| Feb 2025 | 42,000 | 4.2% | 4.1% |
| Jan 2025 | -48,000 | 4.0% | 4.0% |
| Dec 2024 | 237,000 | 4.1% | 4.1% |
| Nov 2024 | 134,000 | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| Oct 2024 | 33,000 | 4.1% | 4.0% |
| Sep 2024 | 155,000 | 4.1% | 3.9% |
| Aug 2024 | 9,000 | 4.2% | 3.9% |
| Jul 2024 | 53,000 | 4.2% | 3.6% |
| Jun 2024 | 87,000 | 4.1% | 3.9% |
| May 2024 | 78,000 | 3.9% | 4.1% |
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Sources and notes
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index (CPI-U, all items) (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of September 30, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics (total nonfarm payroll employment) (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of September 30, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics (average hourly earnings of all employees, total private) (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of September 30, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (Public domain (U.S. government work)), data as of September 30, 2026.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes each month's jobs report (the Employment Situation) early the next month. Jobs added and hourly pay come from its survey of employers' payrolls; the unemployment rate comes from its survey of households. All three are seasonally adjusted. These are the latest figures, so they include the revisions BLS makes in the two reports after each month and once a year, and can differ from what was first reported. Hourly pay is in dollars of the day, not adjusted for inflation, and its average jumped in spring 2020 because mostly lower-paid people lost their jobs, not because pay rose. BLS published no unemployment rate for October 2025, when a lapse in federal funding stopped the household survey.