Recent economic reports indicate that while job gains continue, there are troubling signs of a slowing economy elsewhere. Average hourly earnings increased by only 0.17% for the month, falling short of economists’ expectations of a 0.3% rise.
The unemployment landscape also reflects growing challenges, with the percentage of unemployed individuals out of work for at least 27 weeks returning to a pandemic-era high of 23.5%. The median duration of unemployment has similarly climbed to 10.4 weeks, signaling that finding new opportunities remains difficult for many.
Cory Stahle, an economist at Indeed Hiring Lab, commented on these trends, stating that the figures suggest a widening divide in the labor market between the employed and those still searching for work. Stahle noted, “So far in 2025, the market has been marked by a low firing, low hiring trend that can’t last forever.”
In response to the report, stock prices have ticked higher, while trading sentiment shifted with a decrease in expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates in the near term. Analysts pointed out that the data reflects only the initial weeks of April and can represent conditions that may soon change.
Olu Sonola, head of U.S. economic research at Fitch Ratings, expressed concern regarding the overall economic outlook, emphasizing that although initial metrics suggest a
image source from：https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/april-2025-jobs-report-who-is-hiring-firing-employment-rate-rcna203942
