Manufacturing employment dipped slightly in May, losing 8,000 jobs on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to the monthly employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nonfarm payrolls overall added 139,000 jobs last month.
Data breakdown
The unemployment rate held at 4.2% in May and has remained in a narrow range of 4.0% to 4.2% since May 2024. Meanwhile, nonfarm payrolls have averaged a monthly gain of 149,000 over the past 12 months, in line with the reading from May.
In manufacturing, the average workweek was little changed at 40.1 hours, and overtime was unchanged at 2.9 hours. Meanwhile, average hourly earnings in manufacturing crept up from $35.11 in April to $35.28 in May on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Manufacturing employment has declined over the past year to date, yet remains above pre-pandemic levels, with 12,761,000 workers in May. The sector averaged 12,648,000 employees pre-pandemic (2017–2019).
What National Association of Manufacturers says
“In order to support manufacturing growth and job creation in the U.S., manufacturers are calling on Congress to pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act swiftly and make pro-manufacturing tax policies permanent,” says NAM Managing Vice President of Policy Charles Crain.