WASHINGTON — 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, the Labor Department said Thursday.
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. So far this year, employers have added an average 130,000 jobs a month, down from 168,000 in 2024 and an average 400,000 from 2021 through 2023.
And, according to the data released Thursday, it’s getting harder to find a new job if you lose one.
But the June numbers were surprisingly strong.