April Employment Situation (NFP): 115K jobs vs 65K jobs expected (above expectations)
Payrolls rose 115K in April, beating roughly 65K expected, while unemployment held at 4.3%. Wage growth cooled to 0.2% MoM and 3.6% YoY, making it a resilient-but-not-too-hot labor report.
📊 Results
Actual Reading
Market Reaction
💡 Key Takeaway
The headline beat eased recession fears after February's revised -156K payroll loss, but weak participation, more involuntary part-time work, and continued federal job cuts kept the labor-market cooling story alive.
📖 Why This Matters
The Employment Situation report, commonly known as the Jobs Report or NFP (Non-Farm Payrolls), provides crucial insights into the health of the U.S. labor market. Released monthly by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, it includes non-farm payroll changes, unemployment rate, and wage growth data. This data is vital for Federal Reserve policy decisions, as employment is one half of the Fed's dual mandate alongside price stability.
April Employment Situation (NFP) actual vs expected
| Release date | Friday, May 8, 2026 at 08:30 ET |
|---|---|
| Event type | Jobs |
| Actual | 115K jobs |
| Expected | 65K jobs |
| Prior | 185K jobs |
| Expectation surprise | above expectations |
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FAQ
What was the April Employment Situation (NFP) result?
April Employment Situation (NFP) came in at 115K jobs versus 65K jobs expected, above expectations.
How did markets react to April Employment Situation (NFP)?
S&P 500 +0.4%, Nasdaq +0.7%, Dow +0.4%; 10Y yield ended below 4.37% as markets took the beat without a wage scare.
🔗 Related Events
February Employment Situation (NFP)
DISASTER — Economy lost 92,000 jobs (vs +56K expected). Unemployment jumped to 4.4%. January revised down to +126K. Worst jobs print since the pandemic era.
March Employment Situation (NFP)
Payrolls rebounded by 178K in March after February's shock decline, beating the 70K consensus. Unemployment dipped to 4.3% from 4.4%, while average hourly earnings growth cooled enough to keep the report from looking too inflationary. The report still showed a labor market losing some depth under the hood.
FOMC Rate Decision
Rates held at 4.25-4.50%. Powell stayed hawkish, markets shrugged.
Coinbase (COIN) Q4
Beat estimates. Revenue $2.3B vs $1.9B expected. Crypto rally lifted trading volumes.
January CPI
2.4% vs 2.5% expected — lowest since May. Core at 2.5%, lowest since March 2021. June rate cut odds jumped to 70%.