By Tom Burnett CFA
On June 5, 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its Employment Report for May. Total employment rose by 172,000 from the previous month. The unemployment rate was 4.3%, little changed from April. The rate has been in a narrow range (4.3%-4.5%) since July 2025. The number of unemployed job seekers was 7.3 million, less than the latest (June 2 Report) number of Job Openings at 7.6 million.
The hourly wage rate for non-farm payrolls rose $0.12 to $37.53, up 3.4% from a year ago.
Revisions to prior reports totaled an increase of 93,000.
The next Employment Report will be issued on July 2, 2026.
Tom Burnett CFA is Director of Research