US Employment Situation
May 2026
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Last update:Total nonfarm payroll employment varied by May 2026 in +172,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
| March 2026 | April 2026 | May 2026 | |
| total | 158,650,000 | 158,829,000 | 159,001,000 |
| total monthly variation | +58,000 | +179,000 | +172,000 |
| annual variation | +273,000 | +344,000 | +503,000 |
| annual percentage variation | +0.17% | +0.22% | +0.32% |
The unemployment rate in US was 4.30% in May 2026, a 0.0 percentage points variation compared with the previous month, and 0.0 percentage points compared the previous year:
nonfarm employment total monthly variation
The following chart and table show annual percentage variation data by industry sectors:
retail tradeleisure and hospitalityresidential building constructiontruck transportation
annual percentage variation by sectorShaded area = recession
| March 2026 | April 2026 | May 2026 | |
| accommodation | -0.43% | -0.85% | -0.01% |
| construction | +0.46% | +0.59% | +0.82% |
| durable goods | -0.38% | -0.34% | -0.03% |
| financial activities | -0.75% | -0.86% | -1.16% |
| government | -0.96% | -0.99% | -0.74% |
| information | -2.58% | -2.79% | -2.83% |
| leisure and hospitality | +0.93% | +1.03% | +1.43% |
| manufacturing | -0.54% | -0.51% | -0.36% |
| mining and logging | -2.58% | -2.09% | -0.81% |
| nondurable goods | -0.79% | -0.77% | -0.92% |
| private education and health services | +2.43% | +2.31% | +2.24% |
| residential building construction | -0.91% | -0.77% | -0.88% |
| retail trade | -0.14% | -0.02% | +0.12% |
| service providing | +0.23% | +0.27% | +0.35% |
| total nonfarm | +0.17% | +0.22% | +0.32% |
| total private | +0.37% | +0.43% | +0.50% |
| trade transportation and utilities | -0.49% | -0.25% | -0.19% |
| transportation and warehousing | -1.71% | -0.88% | -0.87% |
| truck transportation | -1.82% | -1.44% | -1.54% |