The U.S. labor market added 139,000 jobs in May, signaling a slowdown from previous months, though still slightly above expectations.

The unemployment rate remained at 4.2%, and wages continued to outpace inflation.

Revisions lowered March and April’s job gains by 95,000, bringing 2025’s average monthly job growth to 124,000—its weakest non-recession start in 30 years, CNN has reported.

Economists warn the labor market is cooling, not collapsing, as businesses adopt a wait-and-see approach amid economic uncertainty and shifting Trump administration trade policies.

Written by B.C. Begley