U.S. employers likely added around 65,000 jobs in April, according to an Associated Press report ahead of the Labor Department’s monthly employment data due on Friday.
The report said the expected increase would be a slowdown from the 178,000 jobs added in March, though it would still point to a labor market that remains relatively stable despite uncertainty from the Iran war and higher oil prices.
The jobless rate is expected to remain unchanged at 4.3%, according to estimates compiled by FactSet and cited in an Associated Press report.
The labor market remains stable despite geopolitical tensions
Separately, payroll firm ADP said in its monthly jobs report released Wednesday that U.S. private employers added 109,000 jobs in April, the biggest monthly gain in more than a year. Hiring gains were led by sectors such as education, health and construction.
The Iran conflict has put pressure on global oil markets in recent weeks, raising fuel prices and raising concerns about inflation and trade costs. Companies across industries remained cautious as lingering geopolitical tensions continue to weigh on market sentiment.
According to an Associated Press report, the U.S. labor market has slowed over the past year, although it has remained resilient due to prolonged high interest rates and slower economic growth.
The report says the U.S. economy has added an average of fewer than 10,000 jobs a month so far in 2025, making it one of the weakest non-recessionary hiring periods in more than two decades.
At the same time, layoffs remained relatively limited. Reuters earlier reported that weekly claims for unemployment benefits in the United States rose only slightly, suggesting that employers are largely keeping workers despite uncertainty about growth and inflation.
April’s nonfarm payrolls report will be closely watched by investors and policymakers as they assess the strength of the U.S. economy and the Federal Reserve’s approach to interest rates.
The monthly payrolls report is considered one of the most important indicators of economic activity in the US and offers an overview of hiring trends and labor market conditions across industries.
