Unemployment Rate Remains Unchanged at 4.2 Percent
May 2, 2025 – Employment rose by 117,000 in April as the U.S. unemployment was unchanged 4.2 percent, according to the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report. The number of unemployed persons was 7.2 million in April. Employment continued to trend up in health care, transportation and warehousing, financial activities, and social assistance. Federal government employment declined.
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (4.0 percent), adult women (3.7 percent), teenagers (12.9 percent), Whites (3.8 percent), Blacks (6.3 percent), Asians (3.0 percent), and Hispanics (5.2 percent) showed little or no change over the month. In April, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) increased by 179,000 to 1.7 million. The long-term unemployed accounted for 23.5 percent of all unemployed people. Both the labor force participation rate, at 62.6 percent, and the employment-population ratio, at 60.0 percent, changed little in April. These measures have shown little change over the year.
The number of people employed part time for economic reasons, at 4.7 million, changed little in April. These individuals would have preferred full-time employment but were working part time because their hours had been reduced or they were unable to find full-time jobs. In April, the number of people not in the labor force who currently want a job was little changed at 5.7 million. These individuals were not counted as unemployed because they were not actively looking for work during the four weeks preceding the survey or were unavailable to take a job.
Among those not in the labor force who wanted a job, the number of people marginally attached to the labor force, at 1.6 million, changed little in April. These individuals wanted and were available for work and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months but had not looked for work in the four weeks preceding the survey. The number of discouraged workers, a subset of the marginally attached who believed that no jobs were available for them, also changed little over the month at 414,000.
Where Job Growth Occurred
- Healthcare added 51,000 jobs in April, about the same as the average monthly gain of 52,000 over the prior 12 months. In April, job growth continued in hospitals (+22,000) and ambulatory health care services (+21,000).
- Employment in transportation and warehousing increased by 29,000 in April, following little change in the prior month (+3,000). Job gains occurred in warehousing and storage (+10,000), couriers and messengers (+8,000), and air transportation (+3,000) in April. Transportation and warehousing had added an average of 12,000 jobs per month over the prior 12 months.
- In April, financial activities employment continued to trend up (+14,000). The industry has added 103,000 jobs since its employment trough in April 2024.
- Employment in social assistance continued its upward trend in April (+8,000) but at a slower pace than the average monthly gain over the prior 12 months (+20,000).
Who Rises to Lead in Private Equity?
Private equity leaders are defined by their ability to drive growth, manage complexity, and deliver results in high-pressure environments. They blend financial insight with strategic leadership, aligning teams and investors around a shared vision. In today’s market, adaptability and execution are key to standing out. Hogan Assessments, a global provider of personality assessment and leadership development, recently examined the personalities of more than 900 private equity executives to see how they compare to other employees around the world. Here is what they found.
Private equity is more than just raising capital. “The skills required for success in this industry go beyond achieving high returns,” the Hogan Assessments report said. “These include driving organic growth, building high-performing teams, creating organizational systems, and having a change-oriented mindset. We know that the success or failure of any organization largely depends on its leaders. In finance, and more specifically private equity, leaders make decisions that directly impact the financial health of the organization. These decisions are driven by personality.”
- Within government, federal government employment declined by 9,000 in April and is down by 26,000 since January. (Employees on paid leave or receiving ongoing severance pay are counted as employed in the establishment survey.)
- Employment showed little or no change over the month in other major industries, including mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; construction; manufacturing; wholesale trade; retail trade; information; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; and other services.
The Private Sector
Private sector employment increased by 62,000 jobs in April and annual pay was up 4.5 percent year-over-year, according to the April ADP National Employment Report produced by ADP Research in collaboration with the Stanford Digital Economy Lab. Education and health services, information, and professional and business services lost jobs, while hiring in other sectors was moderate. The ADP National Employment Report is an independent measure and high-frequency view of the private-sector labor market based on actual, anonymized payroll data of more than 25 million U.S. employees.
“Unease is the word of the day,” said Nela Richardson, chief economist, ADP. “Employers are trying to reconcile policy and consumer uncertainty with a run of mostly positive economic data. It can be difficult to make hiring decisions in such an environment.”
Related: Predicting Talent Acquisition Trends for 2025
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
