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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The U.S. economy added 139,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in May 2025, and the unemployment rate held at 4.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) release published June 6. Those headline figures point to continued hiring and a steady unemployment rate, but the same release revised March and April job gains down by a combined 95,000. The 139,000 figure is the initial May estimate in that release, not a verified latest historical estimate.
How many jobs were added in May 2025?
BLS initially estimated that nonfarm payroll employment rose by 139,000 in May, seasonally adjusted. The figure was below the 125,000 Dow Jones consensus forecast reported by Forbes on June 6, 2025, though a forecast is not an official measure of employment. The BLS release is available in its June 6, 2025 Employment Situation report.
Payroll estimates are revised as additional information becomes available. Treat 139,000 as what BLS reported in the initial release; it should not be presented as the final count for May or as the latest estimate in the historical series.
Did unemployment change in May?
No. The unemployment rate was 4.2%, unchanged from April. BLS reported 7.2 million people unemployed and said the rate had remained within a 4.0%–4.2% range since May 2024. The rate and number unemployed come from the household survey, which measures people’s labor-force status.
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Why were March and April jobs numbers revised down?
In the June 6 release, BLS revised March payroll growth from 185,000 to 120,000, a reduction of 65,000, and April growth from 177,000 to 147,000, a reduction of 30,000. Revisions are a routine part of monthly employment reporting as estimates are updated; the release’s figures show the changes but do not establish a specific cause for them.
The revisions temper the May headline: the latest month showed job growth, while the two preceding months had weaker gains than first reported. They do not erase May’s initial reported increase, but they matter when judging the broader pace of hiring.
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Which industries added jobs in May?
Job growth was concentrated in a few areas rather than evenly spread across the economy.
- Health care: added 62,000 jobs.
- Leisure and hospitality: employment continued to trend up.
- Social assistance: employment also continued to trend up.
- Federal government: employment fell by 22,000, continuing a downward trend.
These industry figures come from the establishment survey, which counts jobs at nonfarm businesses and government employers. They are distinct from the household survey’s measure of employed and unemployed people.
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What did the report say about wages and hours?
Average hourly earnings for private nonfarm payroll employees rose 15 cents, or 0.4%, in May to $36.24. Over the 12 months through May, average hourly earnings increased 3.9%. Average weekly hours were 34.3. These are establishment-survey measures; they describe average pay and hours, not the wage or schedule of every worker.
Does the report show a stable labor market?
“Stability” is a reasonable description of the combination of continued payroll growth and an unchanged unemployment rate, but it is not a BLS verdict. The downward revisions and uneven industry results call for a measured reading: hiring continued in May, while prior gains were smaller after revision and some sectors moved in different directions.
Commentators offered interpretations rather than additional official findings. Fitch Ratings’ head of U.S. economic research, Olu Sonola, called it “a good jobs report” and said the labor market was slowing steadily, as quoted by Forbes. ManpowerGroup regional president Ger Doyle described the picture as “collective caution, not crisis,” in comments reported by Entrepreneur. Those are attributed opinions, not BLS conclusions. The May report alone does not establish a recession outlook or prove what caused the employment figures.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why does the report use two different employment surveys?
The monthly Employment Situation combines two surveys that answer different questions:
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- Household survey: measures labor-force status, including whether people are employed, unemployed, or outside the labor force. The 4.2% unemployment rate and 7.2 million unemployed people are household-survey statistics.
- Establishment survey: measures nonfarm payroll jobs, hours, and earnings by industry. The 139,000 payroll increase, industry changes, wage figures, and average weekly hours are establishment-survey statistics.
Because the surveys count different things, the number of payroll jobs added should not be treated as the number of people who found work or as a direct calculation of the unemployment rate.
How to read the May figure now
The June 6, 2025 release is a historical snapshot of what BLS initially reported for May and revised for March and April. This article does not verify the latest revised May estimate as of October 8, 2026. For a current historical comparison, consult the latest BLS employment data vintage rather than treating the initial 139,000 figure as final.
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