US added 115,000 jobs in April in surprise gain amid Iran war uncertainty

Unemployment remained steady at 4.3% as the US-Israel war on Iran continues to rattle the American economy US employers added 115,000 jobs in April and the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.3%, a surprisingly robust gain to the labor market as the US-Israel war with Iran continued to drive up economic uncertainty. Economists projected about 55,000 new jobs and a 4.3% unemployment rate. A day earlier, the labor department announced 200,000 people filed for weekly unemployment benefits, a slight increase from the week before. Jobs gains were concentrated in healthcare, transportation and warehousing, retail, and social assistance. Altogether, 106,000 new jobs were added to those four industries. Meanwhile, job losses were seen in federal government employment – which is down 348,000 since November 2024 – and the information sector. White House spokesperson Kush Desai wrote on social media on Friday that the April jobs report “smash[ed] expectations”. “Yet another sign that the American economy remains on a solid trajectory under President Trump,” he said. A series of major changes over the last year – tariffs, government layoffs, changing immigration policies and, now, rising oi