US Employers Add 147,000 Jobs Amid Economic Policy Uncertainty

A hiring sign is displayed.

U.S. employers added 147,000 jobs in June as the American labor market continues to show surprising resilience despite uncertainty over President Donald Trump's economic policies. The unemployment rate ticked down to 4.1% from 4.2% in May, according to the Labor Department.

Hiring rose modestly from a revised 144,000 in May and beat economists' expectations of fewer than 118,000 new jobs and a rise in the unemployment rate. The U.S. job market has cooled considerably from red-hot days of 2021-2023 when the economy bounced back with unexpected strength from COVID-19 lockdowns and companies were desperate for workers.

But the June numbers were surprisingly strong. State governments added 47,000 workers and healthcare companies 39,000. However, manufacturers shed 7,000 jobs.

Average hourly wages rose 0.2% from May and 3.7% from a year earlier, inching close to the 3.5% year-over-year number considered consistent with the Federal Reserve's 2% inflation target.

"That whiplash has to stop and it has to stay stopped," said Susan Spence, chair of the ISM's manufacturing survey committee, referring to the uncertainty caused by Trump's tariffs.