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The U.S. added 177,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in April 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ initial estimate released May 2. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.2%. BLS later revised April’s payroll gain to 147,000, so 177,000 is the figure from the original report—not the later estimate.
What the April 2025 jobs report said
The BLS reported that total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 177,000 in April and the unemployment rate held at 4.2%. The payroll figure was close to the 152,000 average monthly gain over the 12 months before the report. The April release also revised February’s gain from 117,000 to 102,000 and March’s from 228,000 to 185,000, leaving those two months’ combined growth 58,000 lower than previously reported.
These are two headline indicators drawn from different surveys. BLS describes the household survey as measuring labor-force status, including unemployment, while the establishment survey measures nonfarm employment, hours and earnings by industry. The payroll count and unemployment rate therefore describe related but distinct parts of the labor market.
Why unemployment stayed at 4.2% while payrolls increased
The payroll estimate counts jobs reported by employers, while the unemployment rate is based on people’s labor-force status in the household survey. A person’s status as employed or unemployed is not the same thing as the number of payroll positions added by employers. As a result, payrolls can rise in a month when the unemployment rate does not change; the two measures need not move in lockstep.
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The 4.2% figure is the headline unemployment rate, often called U-3. BLS also reported a broader U-6 measure of labor underutilization at 7.8% for April. U-6 is a different measure, so it should not be substituted for the headline rate.
Which industries gained or lost jobs
April’s gains were concentrated in several industries, while federal government employment declined:
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| Industry | April employment change | Context in the April BLS report |
|---|---|---|
| Health care | +51,000 | Close to its 52,000 average monthly gain over the preceding year. |
| Transportation and warehousing | +29,000 | Followed a small increase in March. |
| Financial activities | +14,000 | April gain. |
| Social assistance | +8,000 | Below its preceding-year average monthly gain of 20,000. |
| Federal government | −9,000 | Employment was down 26,000 since January. |
What the report showed about pay and hours
Average hourly earnings for private nonfarm payroll employees rose 6 cents, or 0.2%, to $36.06 in April. They were up 3.8% over 12 months. These are nominal earnings figures, not inflation-adjusted pay. The average private nonfarm workweek remained 34.3 hours.
Why the April job number was later revised
The 177,000 figure was the initial payroll estimate in the May 2 release. In its June 6 release, BLS revised April’s gain to 147,000 and March’s to 120,000, from the 185,000 reported in May. The agency said monthly revisions reflect additional employer reports and recalculation of seasonal factors. The June revisions made the combined March and April employment increase 95,000 lower than previously reported.
For clarity, the figures answer different questions: 177,000 is what the April report first published; 147,000 is BLS’s later estimate for April. The unemployment rate in the April report remained 4.2%.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Correction to some April household-survey estimates
BLS reissued the April report on June 3 to note minor errors in some Current Population Survey estimates following a redesigned sample. The agency said the unemployment rate, labor-force participation rate and employment-population ratio were unaffected, and that the overall impact was negligible. The reissued April report did not incorporate corrected household-survey estimates.
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Sources
- BLS, Employment Situation News Release — 2025 M04 Results, May 2, 2025
- BLS, Employment Situation News Release — 2025 M05 Results, June 6, 2025
- BLS, Errata: Corrections to Current Population Survey estimates for April 2025, June 3, 2025
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