‘Exactly What We Want To See’: US Job Growth Beat Expectations For Second Month In A Row

The U.S. added 177,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in April, beating economists’ expectations, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released Friday.

The better-than-expected job growth in April comes after the U.S. added 185,000 jobs in March, according to the BLS. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate remained unchanged in April, at 4.2%.

“The data shows the economy is near the sweet spot for growth,” Parker Sheppard, an economist at the Heritage Foundation, told the 🏢Daily Caller News Foundation. “The trend of steady growth is likely to continue. The breakeven employment growth is around 150,000 jobs per month, and that’s close to the average over the past year.”

“The risks of a higher or lower job growth will be influenced heavily by the outcome of trade negotiations concerning the Trump administration’s proposed tariffs,” Sheppard added.

Moreover, the U.S. federal government workforce decreased slightly in April, declining by 9,000 jobs, according to the BLS.

“Employment in the federal government fell, but it was relatively modest,” Sheppard told the DCNF. “Employment fell 9,000 in April. The level is 38,000 below the end of 2024, but still 97,000 above the end of 2022. If the Trump administration can streamline the federal workforce to provide the right services at a lower cost, that’s a net benefit for taxpayers.”

President Donald Trump — along with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) — has prioritized