U.S. adds 115,000 jobs in April, unemployment holds at 4.3 percent

America’s labor market passed a resilience test in April as employers added 115,000 jobs even while higher oil and energy prices rippled through the economy because of the war with Iran. The unemployment rate held at 4.3 percent, suggesting the job market absorbed the geopolitical shock better than many economists feared.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said total nonfarm payroll employment edged up by 115,000 in April, after an upwardly revised gain of 185,000 in March. The April increase was smaller than March’s, but it still came in above expectations, with economists looking for roughly 55,000 to 65,000 jobs. Gains were concentrated in health care, transportation and warehousing, and retail trade, while federal government employment continued to decline.

The unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.3 percent, with the number of unemployed people little changed at 7.4 million. The labor force participation rate held at 61.8 percent, and the employment-population ratio stood at 59.1 percent. Those figures point to a labor market that has cooled from last year’s pace but remains broadly intact, even as households and businesses face another round of energy-driven pressure.

The report also showed that joblessness is staying stuck longer for many workers. The BLS said 1.8 million people were long-term unemployed in April, accounting for 25.3 percent of all unemployed people. That share underscores a labor market that is still generating jobs, but not quickly enough for everyone who is looking.

Revisions added a note of caution beneath the headline. A follow-up analysis of private payroll data for February and March showed those two months combined were revised down by 16,000 jobs, a reminder that the labor market is growing, but not as cleanly as the April figure suggests. Even so, the broad message of the report was clear: hiring continued, unemployment did not worsen, and the job market remained sturdy enough to keep pace with a volatile energy backdrop.