The U.S. labor market continued to defy expectations in April, with employers surpassing economists' forecasts and adding 115,000 jobs across the nation.

By the numbers

Economists predicted payroll gains of 65,000 in April, according to a consensus forecast from FactSet.

The unemployment rate, which has hovered above 4% since June 2024, held steady at 4.3%.

April's employment reading from the Labor Department follows a blockbuster report in March, when employers added 178,000 jobs, nearly three times the amount that economists had predicted. 

"In general, the levels of openings and hires are down from their post-pandemic peaks but remain high relative to the historical record before the pandemic," Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics, said in a report ahead of the latest employment numbers.

While hiring has picked up, layoffs remain relatively subdued. According to data this week from outplacement firm Challenger, Gray and Christmas, employers have cut around 300,000 jobs so far this year, about half the number from the same period a year ago.

In April, about one in four companies cited artificial intelligence as the reason for layoffs, a growing trend as businesses seek to speed up workflows and cut costs.

The April labor report comes nearly 10 weeks into the U.S. war with Iran. Oxford Economics said in a report that it's too soon to tell how the conflict could affect the labor market, but noted the war could bog down hiring as companies grapple with uncertainty and if consumer spending weakens.