“The April jobs report exceeding expectations due to strong private-sector growth is a further indication that the American economy continues to progress positively under President Trump. In April, the U.S. saw an increase of 12,600 factory construction jobs as significant investments flow into American manufacturing. All major indicators suggest continued growth, giving Americans confidence that the future holds even greater promise.”
— White House spokesman Kush Desai
Here’s what you need to know:
- The U.S. labor market is thriving. In April, the economy added 115,000 jobs, far surpassing economists’ forecasts and marking the second consecutive month of robust growth. In 2026, the economy has been advancing with an average of 76,000 new jobs each month, a significant increase from the 10,000 monthly average in 2025.
- Economists continue to underestimate the Trump economy’s strength. 94% of Bloomberg economists (65 out of 69) failed to predict April’s remarkable growth, continuing a trend of underestimating current expansion momentum.
- American manufacturing is experiencing a resurgence. The economy saw an increase of 12,600 factory construction jobs in April, driven by vast investments in advanced manufacturing and data centers. The first quarter of 2026 marked the first manufacturing job growth since 2023, with all major indicators now showing strong expansion following years of decline during the Biden era.
- President Trump is significantly reducing the federal bureaucracy. His decisive actions have already reduced the federal workforce by 345,000 employees, making it the smallest since May 1966 and the smallest share of the total workforce ever.
- American workers are re-entering the labor force in large numbers. Prime-age labor force participation remains very strong, with female participation near its all-time high and male participation at its highest since 2009. Workers are actively rejoining the workforce, driving the Trump Economy forward.
Here’s what they’re saying:
- The Wall Street Journal: “The U.S. job market once again exceeded expectations in April, supported by gains across industries such as retail, transportation and warehousing, and healthcare. This resilience is evident even amid the Iran war.”
- Bloomberg Economics Chief U.S. Economist Anna Wong: “April’s hiring numbers were unexpectedly strong… The most intriguing aspect of April’s job report is the freight sector, which accounted for more than half of the month’s job gains. This confirms the positive trends indicated by recent strong PMI readings and regional Fed manufacturing surveys, suggesting a robust recovery in the industrial sector.”
- Politico: “President Donald Trump’s labor market is on the rebound.”
- The New York Times reporter Tony Romm: “The jobs report provides President Trump with positive data to highlight.”
- Economist Steve Moore: “This is a real testament to many of Trump’s policies… The buzzword today is ‘resilience’.”
- Northlight Asset Management Chief Investment Officer Chris Zaccarelli: “The economy is performing far better than the pessimists have suggested… The labor market is adding jobs, GDP is growing, and corporate profits are rising rapidly.”
- Lombard Odier Investment Managers Head of Macro Research Florian Ielpo: “What’s not to like? It exceeds expectations without being excessively strong and doesn’t appear directly inflationary.”
- CNBC anchor Rick Santelli: “We are much stronger… These are positive numbers.”
- Fox Business Network anchor Cheryl Casone: “April’s jobs report exceeded expectations significantly. The nonfarm number was 115,000 jobs, while the expectation was 62,000. Once again, a strong result for the U.S. job market.”
- Citizens Bank Managing Director and Co-Head of Global Markets Eric Merlis: “The April jobs report presents a clear and unexpected positive surprise… Notably, the data indicates that the ongoing Middle East hostilities have had minimal visible impact on the U.S. job market.”
- Navy Federal Credit Union Chief Economist Heather Long: “Good news. The U.S. economy added a solid 115,000 jobs in April (and March’s figures were revised higher to 185,000!) The unemployment rate remained at 4.3%. Healthcare hiring was strong, contributing to about a third of April’s job gains, along with retail and transportation/warehouse sectors.”
- Job Creators Network CEO Alfredo Ortiz: “Small businesses are truly the engines of job creation, and this has never been more evident than during this specific week and year under this Administration and Kelly Loeffler’s leadership. Small businesses are at the forefront here.”
- CNN’s Matt Egan: “This was a significant win for the job market… The U.S. economy added 115,000 jobs in April, nearly double what economists had anticipated.”
- The New York Times reporter Lydia DePillis: “That’s another surprisingly strong performance, about double what economists expected.”
