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Manufacturing employment was little changed from March to April, but the larger U.S. economy exhibited a continuation of steady gains (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). 

What’s going on: Total nonfarm payrolls grew by 177,000 last month, according to preliminary data out today, while manufacturing shed 1,000 jobs, coming in at 12,765,000 in April. In March, manufacturing added 3,000 positions.

• The national unemployment rate remained at 4.2%. 

Details: In manufacturing, durable goods gained 2,000 jobs in April, with preliminary numbers showing 7,909,000 workers. That’s down 88,000 jobs from April 2024.

• At 4,856,000 jobs in April, nondurable goods manufacturing lost 3,000 positions over the month, though that number is up slightly from a year ago (4,850,000). 

Workweek and earnings: The average workweek in manufacturing inched down by 0.2 hour, to 40.0 hours.  

• Average hourly manufacturing earnings also came down in April, landing at a preliminary $35.06 after coming in at $35.17 in March. However, that’s up from a year ago ($33.62).