US economy adds 177K jobs in April, exceeding economic forecasts

The Labor Department reported Friday the U.S. economy added 177,000 jobs in April, exceeding economic forecasts. 

The unemployment rate for the month was 4.2%, unchanged from March, the department also reported.

The data from the department's Bureau of Labor Statistics is considered among the first and best indicators of the economic impact of the tariffs President Donald Trump imposed in early April. 

The economy added 228,00 jobs in March.

Economists expect the U.S to have added 133,000 nonfarm payroll employment jobs in April, according to ABC News.

The jobs data come days after a federal government report showed the U.S. economy shrank over the first three months of 2025, much of which took place as Trump's flurry of tariff proposals stoked uncertainty among businesses and consumers, the news outlet also reports.