Transmission of material in this news release is embargoed until 8:30 a.m. (ET) Friday, June 5, 2026
The Employment Situation โ May 2026
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 172,000 in May, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.3 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality, local government, and health care. Employment in financial activities declined.
This news release presents statistics from two monthly surveys. The household survey measures labor force status, including unemployment, by demographic characteristics. The establishment survey measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry. For more information about the concepts and statistical methodology used in these two surveys, see the Technical Note.
https://www.bls.gov/schedule/2026/
https://www.bls.gov/bls/newsrels.htm
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/empsit.pdf