US Job Market Remains Resilient Amid Tariff Tensions

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US Job Market Remains Resilient Amid Tariff Tensions

 

Despite increasing uncertainty triggered by a surge in import tariffs, the U.S. job market remained robust in April, adding 177,000 new positions and keeping the unemployment rate steady at 4.2%, according to the latest data from the Labor Department. The stronger-than-expected hiring numbers came during a month when financial markets were rattled by new trade policies and rising anxiety about the country’s economic outlook.

 

This resilience in employment has continued to confound many analysts, particularly given the broader economic pressures of high inflation and elevated interest rates. The job gains last month exceeded expectations, offering a glimmer of hope that the United States might navigate through trade tensions without tipping into a serious downturn.

 

“The key message coming from the totality of the data this week is that the U.S. economy was fundamentally strong through the first week of April, however, the outlook remains very uncertain,” said Olu Sonola, head of U.S. economic research at Fitch Ratings. He acknowledged that job gains in earlier months—January and February—were revised downward, but still called the latest report solid.

 

The Labor Department’s employment surveys were conducted just days after President Trump introduced sweeping tariffs referred to as "Liberation Day" measures. These tariffs elevated the average U.S. import tax rate to levels not seen in over a century, throwing a curveball into business planning and investor confidence. While many firms have responded with caution, waiting to see if Trump's trade agenda materializes into formal agreements, the labor market appears to have largely shrugged off the policy shock for now.

 

Job growth was led by sectors such as healthcare, transportation, and warehousing, signaling continued strength in essential services and logistics. Federal government employment shrank, aligning with the Trump administration’s stated goal of reducing federal spending, but this decline was balanced out by job increases at the local government level. However, not all sectors fared well—manufacturing and retail payrolls declined, reflecting possible early tremors from tariff-related disruptions.

 

Wage growth remained strong, with average hourly earnings rising by 3.8% over the past year. That level of income growth may help sustain consumer spending, a key driver of the U.S. economy.

 

Seema Shah, chief global strategist at Principal Asset Management, interpreted the figures as a signal that the Federal Reserve is under no immediate pressure to lower interest rates. “Why would the Fed start cutting rates right now when the unemployment rate is near record lows, the consumer is still fairly robust, and inflation is running above target?” she said.

 

Looking ahead, Shah warned “The economy will weaken in the coming months but, with this underlying momentum, the U.S. has a decent chance of averting recession if it can step back from the tariff brink in time,” she added.

 

  Adpated by ASEAN Now from BBC  2025-05-03

 

 

[gargamon]

The tariff hits on the job market and the stock market have not yet begun. Give it a couple of months.

[impulse]

Interesting...  Jobs keep coming, and they haven't had to come back and revise the last few months downwards like they did during the election.

 

Did they mention that one place jobs were declining is the federal gub'ment?

 

[Tug]

3 minutes ago, gargamon said:

The tariff hits on the job market and the stock market have not yet begun. Give it a couple of months.

I hope you are wrong but I’m afraid I agree with you time will tell…..it takes time for the ship of state to change course especially such a large resilient ship.lets all hope we can navigate this minefield Mr trump has led us into.

[gargamon]

41 minutes ago, impulse said:

Jobs keep coming, and they haven't had to come back and revise the last few months downwards

You expect Trump's minions to make the numbers look worse? You've been watching too much Faux News.

[impulse]

2 minutes ago, gargamon said:

You expect Trump's minions to make the numbers look worse? You've been watching too much Faux News.

 

I don't guess you realize that tariffs actually drive manufacturing into a country?  That creates domestic jobs.  Fear of tariffs forces companies to hire domestically because they can't ramp up production on a dime.  They need the workers in place before the tariffs kick in. 

 

I'd sure hate to be the last company that snaps to that fact and have to settle for the dregs of the employment pool.

 

[impulse]

7 minutes ago, candide said:

Another baseless claim. Manufacturing jobs -1K. 🙂

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/02/economy/what-to-expect-from-fridays-jobs-report

 

See that guy on the OP photo?  He's not technically counted in manufacturing.  He's in transportation and warehousing.  They're doing great, in spite of (or because of?) the tariffs.  See those 11K construction jobs?  They're building factories, too. 

 

Private education...  Shouldn't that be dropping like a rock with all the student visa cancellations?  What?  The sky's not falling?

 

[candide]

5 hours ago, impulse said:

 

I don't guess you realize that tariffs actually drive manufacturing into a country?  That creates domestic jobs.  Fear of tariffs forces companies to hire domestically because they can't ramp up production on a dime.  They need the workers in place before the tariffs kick in. 

 

I'd sure hate to be the last company that snaps to that fact and have to settle for the dregs of the employment pool.

 

Another baseless claim. Manufacturing -1K.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/02/economy/what-to-expect-from-fridays-jobs-report

 

 

[candide]

1 minute ago, impulse said:

 

See that guy on the OP photo?  He's not technically counted in manufacturing.  He's in transportation and warehousing.  They're doing great, in spite of (or because of?) the tariffs.  See those 11K construction jobs?  They're building factories, too. 

 

Private education...  Shouldn't that be dropping like a rock with all the student visa cancellations?  What?  The sky's not falling?

 

More baseless guess and deflections. 🙂

 

Companies have been storing in anticipation of tariffs (confirmed by imports increase).

You have provided no information about what has been build by the construction industry, you are just making it up.

 

[thesetat]

1 hour ago, candide said:

More baseless guess and deflections. 🙂

 

Companies have been storing in anticipation of tariffs (confirmed by imports increase).

You have provided no information about what has been build by the construction industry, you are just making it up.

 

Why is it you turn good news into a doomsday article. Can you not see that so far, there has little to no damage from what Trump has done. NO

Instead you promote your hate and doom. Will you ever see any good in what happens in the US? Perhaps you just hate the US and twist everything to try to make it all bad?

[candide]

1 hour ago, thesetat said:

Why is it you turn good news into a doomsday article. Can you not see that so far, there has little to no damage from what Trump has done. NO

Instead you promote your hate and doom. Will you ever see any good in what happens in the US? Perhaps you just hate the US and twist everything to try to make it all bad?

I replied to a BM, who baselessly claimed that the relatively good job report was due to an increase in manufacturing jobs thanks to Trump's tariffs policy, by bringing up the fact that manufacturing jobs decreased by 1K.

 

Of course in the magasphere, mentioning facts is the ultimate proof of hate and doom! 😆

[Cryingdick]

10 hours ago, impulse said:

Interesting...  Jobs keep coming, and they haven't had to come back and revise the last few months downwards like they did during the election.

 

Did they mention that one place jobs were declining is the federal gub'ment?

 

If you can take a federal worker making $100,000 a year and turn them into a day time Wa;mart greeter, night time gas station attendant and weekend Uber driver that is immediately beneficial to the economy. Before you were burning money employing these types. Nobody here in the USA has noticed any difference at all. Every useless federal worker shed is instantly accretive.

[gejohesch]

11 hours ago, gargamon said:

The tariff hits on the job market and the stock market have not yet begun. Give it a couple of months.

It's the calm that precedes the storm

[Cryingdick]

12 hours ago, gargamon said:

The tariff hits on the job market and the stock market have not yet begun. Give it a couple of months.

You sound like a guy that should probably sell everything he has to prepare for it. Now if you own stocks and they go down don't come crying you knew you should have sold. Show some strength in your conviction.

[JonnyF]

Less illegals stealing US jobs. 

 

Great job Mr Trump.

 

In Don We Trust.

[atpeace]

13 minutes ago, JonnyF said:

Less illegals stealing US jobs. 

 

Great job Mr Trump.

 

In Don We Trust.

Maybe but I seriously doubt it impacts the latest numbers in the slightest.  Hope Trump prevails and will just sit back and watch this drama play out over the next few years. 1 month or even 3 months at this point tell us little.