WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has reported that U.S. employment growth totaled 139,000 jobs in May, slightly ahead of the 125,000 jobs that Dow Jones economists predicted, according to CNBC. The figure is also in line with the average monthly gain of 149,000 over the previous 12 months. The U.S. unemployment rate remained unchanged from April at 4.2 percent.
The federal government lost 22,000 jobs in May, according to the BLS. Employment for the U.S. government has dwindled by 59,000 since January. The Trump administration, aided by its newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has cut federal government jobs in an effort to improve efficiency and reduce government spending.
The healthcare sector led all categories at 62,000 jobs added in May, with jobs gains occurring in in hospitals (+30,000), ambulatory health care services (+29,000) and skilled nursing care facilities (+6,000). The average monthly job gain in the healthcare sector over the previous 12 months is 44,000.
Other sectors that saw job growth in May include leisure and hospitality (+48,000), local government (+21,000) and social assistance (+16,000). Employment showed little change in industries including mining, quarrying, and oil-and-gas extraction; construction; manufacturing; wholesale trade; retail trade; transportation and warehousing; information; financial activities; and professional and business services.
The BLS has also revised the job gains in March down from 185,000 to 120,000, while April also saw a downward revision from 177,000 to 147,000. Combined, the BLS has revised employment in March and April down by 95,000.