Job creation in the U.S. economy was weaker than expected in April although the unemployment rate fell slightly, according to figures released Friday by the Labor Department.
The overall economy added 115,000 jobs in April, down from revised data that showed March job creation at 154,000, notably higher than the 120,000 initially reported.
The job creation numbers for April were also notably lower than the predictions of most economists who had forecast 165,000 new jobs for the month.
Despite the anemic job creation figures, the unemployment rate ticked down to 8.1 percent in April from the 8.2 percent reported in March.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
Economic News
What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.