U.S. nonfarm payrolls rose by 172,000 in May while the unemployment rate held at 4.3%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said today.
Construction employment showed little change in May, reinforcing a picture of selective hiring as contractors weigh backlog, financing conditions, and costs.
Hiring gains were reported in health care, local government and leisure and hospitality, while financials reported job losses.
The U.S. labor market grew in May, but construction did not join the month’s biggest hiring gains.
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 172,000 in May, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.3%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Situation report, released today.
Employment in construction showed little change over the month. That flat reading does not signal a collapse in labor demand. It does suggest contractors remain cautious, adding workers selectively rather than expanding payrolls aggressively.
Other sectors that showed little employment movement in May employment include manufacturing, wholesale trade, retail trade, information, professional and business services.
The May report showed job gains concentrated in leisure and hospitality, local government and health care. Leisure and hospitality added 70,000 jobs, local government added 55,000, and health care added 35,000. Financial activities lost 22,000 jobs.
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Construction was among the major industries with little change, the BLS data showed. A flat month does not mean projects are stopping, but it does suggest firms are still weighing backlog, financing conditions, and labor cost pressure before hiring more intensely.
ConstructConnect’s May 2026 Construction Economy Snapshot had already shown a modest increase in April construction employment, led by nonresidential specialty trades and nonresidential building.
The US unemployment rate has remained in a narrow range of 4.3% to 4.5% since July 2025. In May, the number of unemployed was essentially unchanged at 7.3 million.
But the BLS report also showed long-term unemployment was up by 524,000 from a year earlier, even though it was little changed month-to-month. That suggests the labor market is steady, but not without friction.
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