US adds 139,000 jobs in May, unemployment rate stays put

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the US labor market grew by 139,000 in the month of May — above estimates of 126,000 — while the unemployment rate held at 4.2% and average hourly earnings rose by 3.9% year-over-year (above expectations of 3.7%).

Brad Smith and Madison Mills dive into the data within the May jobs report out Friday morning.

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00:00 Speaker A

We are just moments away from the May payrolls print. Let's set the scene here. The expectations as we're waiting for the number to cross in just under a minute here, the non-farm payrolls are anticipated to come in at 126,000 for the month of May here. We're also going to be looking across the unemployment rate measuring up against this 4.2% expectation and then additionally, one of the labor force participation rates expectations there, 62.6%. And then average hourly earnings, another area that we're going to be watching month over month, three tenths of a percent, year over year, 3.7%. You're taking a look at futures here coming into the print here and we are seeing gains right now across the board, about four tenths of a percent for all of the US major averages right now, Maddie.

00:50 Maddie

Yep, and we are just seconds away from the jobs data crossing the wire here. We have a little bit of a beat. The number coming in at 139,000. That is above the survey estimate which was 126,000 added jobs over the course of the month. Change in private payrolls also a bit of a beat coming in at 140,000, the estimate being 120,000. Taking a look at unemployment rate coming in bang in line with estimates at 4.2%. That is also identical to the prior reading which was at 4.2%. The labor force participation rate just a tick below the survey estimate of 62.6%. That came in at 62.4%. Broadly looking like a good set of numbers across the board here. You also had an average hourly earnings rising a tick. It came in up four tenths of a percent month over month. The estimate was three tenths of a percent of gains when it came to those average hourly earnings month over month. You also had a beat on average hourly earnings year over year, coming in at 3.9%, the estimate of 3.7%. And then lastly, we like to look at the average weekly hours for employees. That is a gauge of how confident companies are, maybe they're pulling back. That also came bang in line with the survey estimate. Uh we are also getting in some revisions here. One thing that's interesting is there was a downward revision for the prior payroll sprint that came in at 177,000. That was revised down to 147,000. Uh and it's interesting to see really across the board here. It does look like on a headline basis, a pretty strong report and the stock market cheering as a result.

03:24 Speaker A

Yeah, and actually multiple revisions down here, both for March and April. March was revised down by 65,000, from 185,000 to 120,000. So that combined with the April downward revision, you've actually got March and April combined 95,000 jobs lower than previously reported here. So that's why it's important to track the revisions. Also important to track some of the sectors here as well. The employment here continued to trend up in healthcare, leisure and hospitality, social assistance as well. That leisure and hospitality sector, one of the through lines that we could have drawn from the ADP private payrolls print. That was really the by and large gainer there. And then the federal government here, that continued to lose jobs. May come as no surprise given some of the accelerated cuts that we'd heard and continued to monitor in previous prints as well here.