U.S. economy adds 147,000 jobs in June as unemployment ticks down
By Easton Martin | July 3, 2025
The U.S. economy continued its steady growth in June, adding 147,000 nonfarm payroll jobs and pushing the unemployment rate down to 4.1 percent, according to data released Thursday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Government hiring led the way with 73,000 jobs added. State government education accounted for 40,000 of those, while local education contributed another 23,000. The healthcare sector also showed strong gains, adding 39,000 jobs, including 16,000 in hospitals and 14,000 in nursing and residential care facilities. Social assistance followed with an increase of 19,000 jobs, primarily in individual and family services.
Average hourly wages for private-sector workers rose by 8 cents in June to $36.30, representing a 3.7 percent increase over the past year. Nonsupervisory employees saw an even larger jump of 9 cents, bringing their average to $31.24. Although the average workweek dipped slightly to 34.2 hours, wage growth remained consistent.
Key labor market indicators held steady. The labor force participation rate was unchanged at 62.3 percent, and the employment-population ratio remained at 59.7 percent. Long-term unemployment rose modestly to 1.6 million, but overall joblessness declined as more people found work.
With consistent hiring across education, healthcare, and social services, the report signals a resilient labor market even as growth moderates. Analysts say the solid performance could influence the Federal Reserve to hold off on cutting interest rates until later in the year, possibly in September.
