by Calculated Risk on 5/03/2024 08:30:00 AM

From the BLS:

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 175,000 in April, and the unemployment rate changed little at 3.9 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in health care, in social assistance, and in transportation and warehousing.
...
The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for February was revised down by 34,000, from +270,000 to +236,000, and the change for March was revised up by 12,000, from +303,000 to +315,000. With these revisions, employment in February and March combined is 22,000 lower than previously reported.
emphasis added

Click on graph for larger image.

The first graph shows the jobs added per month since January 2021.

Total payrolls increased by 175 thousand in April.  Private payrolls increased by 167 thousand, and public payrolls increased 8 thousand.

Payrolls for February and March were revised down 22 thousand, combined.

The second graph shows the year-over-year change in total non-farm employment since 1968.

In April, the year-over-year change was 2.80 million jobs.  Employment was up solidly year-over-year.

The third graph shows the employment population ratio and the participation rate.

The Labor Force Participation Rate was unchanged at 62.7% in April, from 62.7% in March. This is the percentage of the working age population in the labor force.

The Employment-Population ratio decreased to 60.2% from 60.3% (blue line).

I'll post the 25 to 54 age group employment-population ratio graph later.

The fourth graph shows the unemployment rate.

The unemployment rate increased to 3.9% in April from 3.8% in March.

This was below consensus expectations; and February and March payrolls were revised dpwn by 22,000 combined.  

I'll have more later ...