The end of the first week of the month brings information about employment in the world's largest economy, which is closely followed by investors and economists from around the globe. They largely determine the direction of US monetary policy, influence the valuation of the dollar and are an important indicator for assessing the condition of the economy.
It turns out that in May 2026, the unemployment rate in the US was 4.3%.. A month earlier, the percentage of people unemployed was at the same level and economists expected a repeat. So there are no surprises in this respect.
See also: Poland's second place in the forefront of real unemployment. Why aren't we leading?
Overall, we can talk about relative stabilization on the labor market. For at least two years, the unemployment rate in the United States has hovered in a narrow range of 4-4.5%. The indicator last touched its upper limit in November 2025.
From the perspective of financial markets, information on employment is more important. In the non-farm sector (non-farm payrolls), 172,000 jobs were added in May. new jobs compared to the forecast 85 thousand This is a big, positive surprise. However, it is worth noting that the data for the previous month has been corrected. Originally, it was estimated at 115,000. new jobs in April, and ultimately 179 thousand.
Labor market in the USA. Detailed data
“Though employment growth was mainly concentrated in a few sectors, and the number of layoffs was also moderate. There are also some signs that artificial intelligence is having an impact on employee numbers,” CNBC comments on the latest data.
He highlights a few numbers from the report. Leisure and hospitality led the way across all sectors, employing 70,000. people, significantly above the monthly average of 14 thousand. last year. Local governments added 55,000.
See also: New data on benefits in the USA. Is this the beginning of a slowdown?
Healthcare, which is the leading sector, brought in PLN 35,000. new jobs, which is close to the average. Social assistance added 12 thousand.
CNBC also points out that average hourly earnings increased by 0.3%. per month and by 3.4 percent throughout the year. Both indicators are in line with economists' forecasts.
Federal Reserve officials have become more optimistic about the labor market in recent days, focusing attention on the nagging problem of inflation that has largely ruled out the possibility of further interest rate cuts. The central bank remains on hold this year.
