The April 2026 Jobs Report & March 2026 JOLTS: The Current U.S. Employment Situation

Industry Insights

The BLS Employment Situation Summary with April 2026 jobs data is painting a sunny picture for the job market:

115,000 increase in total nonfarm payroll employment (far surpassing expectations of 65,000)
4.3% unemployment rate (unchanged compared to March)
7.4 million unemployed people (slight increase compared to March)

“It will take at least a couple more months of strong gains for economists to have confidence that the turnaround is real. But today’s report is an encouraging sign,” said Ben Casselman of the New York Times.

Change in Nonfarm Payroll Employment

December ’25	50K
January ’26	130K
February ’26	-92K
March ’26	178K
April ’26	115K

Unemployment Rate

December ’25	4.4%
January ’26	4.3%
February ’26	4.4%
March ’26	4.3%
April ’26	4.3%

March 2026 JOLTS Summary

March 2026 JOLTS data revealed 6.9 million job openings, a slight decrease compared to February. Hires increased from 4.9 million to 5.6 million, as did the hires rate from 3.1% to 3.5% (the highest recorded since May 2024). Total separations also rose from 5.0 million to 5.4 million, with little change to quits (3.2 million) and layoffs and discharges (1.9 million).

Number of Unemployed Persons

December ’25	7.5M
January ’26	7.4M
February ’26	7.6M
March ’26	7.2M
April ’26	7.4M

Additional April 2026 Jobs Report & March 2026 JOLTS Takeaways

The quits rate ticked back up to 2.0%; industries with significant increases in quits month-over-month include private education and health services (+36,000), financial activities (+32,000), and leisure and hospitality (+27,000).
Hires grew by over 100,000 in trade, transportation, and utilities; professional and business services; and leisure and hospitality.
Average hourly earnings increased by $0.06, or 0.2%, to $37.41.
The number of people employed part time for economic reasons grew to 4.9 million, the most we’ve seen since December 2025.

April 2026 Jobs Data by Industry

Sector-wise, health care and social assistance, transportation and warehousing, and retail trade all saw significant job gains. Employment in government, financial activities, and information continued to decline.

Change in Employment by Industry

Industry	January	February	March	April
Construction	33K	-11K	26K	9K
Manufacturing	5K	-12K	15K	-2K
Motor Vehicles & Parts	0.9K	-1.6K	0.6K	-3K
Retail Trade	1.2K	2.3K	9.7K	21.8K
Transportation & Warehousing	-11.2K	-11.3K	21K	30.3K
Utilities	1K	1.3K	-1.2K	1.9K
Information	-12K	-11K	-3K	-13K
Financial Activities	-22K	10K	-15K	-11K
Professional & Business Services	34K	-5K	2K	7K
Health Care & Social Assistance	123.5K	-18.6K	89.9K	53.9K
Leisure & Hospitality	1K	-27K	44K	14K
Other Services	7K	8K	-9K	10K
Government	-42K	-6K	-8K	-8K

“Job creation remained solid in April, as businesses shrugged off uncertainty brought on by the war in Iran and higher gas prices,” said Sydney Ember of the New York Times.

“The April jobs report is a clear upside surprise, showing the labor market remains resilient,” said Eric Merlis, Citizens Financial Co-Head of Global Markets. “Importantly, the data suggests the hostilities in the Middle East have had little visible impact on the U.S. job market.”

If you’re feeling optimistic about growing your team or advancing your career this spring, iHire is up to the task. Explore our recruiting tools and job search solutions today.