U.S. April Jobs Report, Payrolls Seen at 55,000 as Wage Gaps Widen

Monthly job gains below 100,000 once meant recession. That bar has changed. The Bureau of Labor Statistics releases April's report on Friday at 8:30 a.m. ET, with payrolls forecast at 55,000, enough to hold unemployment at 4.3%. March added 178,000 jobs, the best month since December 2024, but the 12-month average is only 22,000. Excluding healthcare, the economy lost jobs. Wage gaps are widening. Average hourly earnings are projected to rise 3.8% in April, but the top third gained 6% after-tax while the bottom group earned only 1.5%, below the 3.5% consumer price index rise through March, a net loss for low earners. Small businesses have lost jobs for three months. The Federal Reserve, weighing stable jobless claims against weak consumer sentiment, is expected to hold rates steady through the year.