USA creates 172 thousand jobs in May; forecast was 85 thousand

A job seeker waits to talk to a recruiter at a job fair on August 28, 2025, in Sunrise, Florida
AP/Marta Lavandier, Archive
The United States economy created 172,000 jobs in May, according to data released this Friday (5) by the American Department of Labor.
The result was above the forecast of economists consulted by Reuters, who expected the creation of 85,000 jobs. Analysts interviewed by Dow Jones Newswires and "The Wall Street Journal" projected 80 thousand new jobs.
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The unemployment rate remained stable at 4.3% for the third consecutive month.
The April number was revised to 179 thousand vacancies. Revisions to the March and April data added 93,000 jobs to the previously reported total, according to the Department of Labor.
As a result, job creation averaged 188,000 per month between March and May, the highest quarterly pace since the beginning of 2024, according to the Associated Press news agency.
The result marks the third consecutive month of increase in job creation in the United States, after a period of fluctuations in the job market over the last year.
"The Total employment in the nonfarm sector increased by 172,000 in May, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.3%," the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
According to the agency, employment increases were recorded primarily in leisure and hospitality, local government and healthcare.
The leisure and hospitality sector added 70,000 jobs in May, above the 14,000 monthly average recorded last year. Within this group, restaurants and bars accounted for 48 thousand jobs, according to the Associated Press.
Local governments created 55 thousand jobs. The health sector opened 35 thousand jobs and continues to be among the main drivers of job creation in the country.
The financial sector, on the other hand, lost 22 thousand jobs, with falls in areas such as insurance and commercial banks. Air transport closed 9,000 jobs, after the low-cost airline Spirit gradually reduced its operations.
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Slow hiring and firing
Despite the increase in job creation, economists cited by Reuters assess that the American job market remains in a balance of "slow hiring and slow firing". Companies have been cautious to expand hiring, but layoffs remain at a low level.
"The hiring slump is over. American companies are hiring again," Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, told the Associated Press.
"The labor market recovery is happening in almost every sector. This is encouraging news for job seekers and the American economy. The job market has stabilized and is showing the first signs of a genuine recovery," he said.
Before the data was released, Diane Swonk, chief economist at consultancy KPMG, said that workers, job seekers and employers were in a tight job market.
"Those with jobs are clinging to them, while those without are left in a precarious position," Swonk wrote.
According to the AP, many young people have found it difficult to enter the job market, and laid-off workers face obstacles in returning to work. In April, almost 28% of the unemployed had been without a job for more than six months, the highest percentage since December 2021.
Also in April, the number of people who resigned fell to the lowest level since August 2020, a period marked by the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Reuters, so far there are no signs of a relevant impact on employment due to the rise in prices for oil and other products transported through the Strait of Hormuz, amid the war with Iran.
Economists also say tax refunds and tariffs have helped corporate profits and limited large-scale layoffs. Os lucros corporativos aumentaram US$ 40,4 bilhões no primeiro trimestre e vêm crescendo desde o segundo trimestre de 2025, segundo a Reuters.
A Suprema Corte dos EUA anulou tarifas em fevereiro, e algumas empresas entraram com pedidos de reembolso.
Os salários médios por hora subiram 0,3% em relação a abril e 3,4% na comparação com maio de 2025.
O dado salarial pode influenciar a avaliação do Federal Reserve, o banco central americano, sobre a inflação e os interest. Segundo a Reuters, os mercados financeiros esperam que o Fed mantenha sua taxa de juros de referência na faixa de 3,50% a 3,75% até 2027.
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A Associated Press afirma que os mercados financeiros recuaram após a divulgação do relatório, em meio à expectativa de que o Fed não veja necessidade de cortar os juros neste ano, diante do desempenho das contratações.
Economistas também apontam que os Estados Unidos precisam criar menos vagas do que antes para manter a taxa de desemprego estável. A Reuters cita estimativas de que a economia precisa gerar entre zero e 50 mil empregos por mês para acompanhar o crescimento da população em idade ativa.
A redução da imigração e o aumento das aposentadorias da geração baby boomer diminuíram o número de pessoas competindo por vagas, segundo a AP.
Alguns analistas também avaliam o impacto da inteligência artificial sobre as contratações. Gregory Daco e Lydia Boussour, da consultoria EY-Parthenon, escreveram que a adoção da tecnologia tem sido "mais gradual e custosa do que muitos previam".
Segundo eles, a inteligência artificial reduziu contratações, mas não provocou "demissões em massa".
*Com informações das agências Reuters, Associated Press e France Presse.
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Source: G1