Employers added 57,000 jobs in June, far below forecasts
June's payroll gains were much lower than the 100,000 new hires that economists had predicted.
Updated on: July 2, 2026 / 5:05 PM EDT / CBS News
U.S. employers added 57,000 jobs in June, far below analysts' forecasts and signaling that hiring may be losing momentum.
Economists polled by FactSet had predicted the economy would add 100,000 jobs last month.
The unemployment rate was 4.2% in June, down from 4.3% in May.
June's payroll report marked a slowdown after a string of strong reports from March through May, each of which topped 100,000 jobs. On Thursday, the Labor Department revised down job growth for April and May by a combined 74,000, indicating hiring was weaker than previously reported.
By sector, the professional and business services industry saw the largest gains in June, adding 36,000 jobs. Healthcare also continued to add workers, though at a slower pace than in prior months. The sector added 22,000 jobs in June, below the average monthly gain of 38,000 over the prior 12 months, the Labor Department said.