Nowflation › Release calendar › April 2026 jobs report

April 2026 jobs report: +148K — Graded

Countdown

Released Friday, May 8, 2026 at 8:30 AM ET. Graded below.

What to watch

  • Prior: payrolls +185K in March 2026.
  • Street consensus: +62K payrolls (FMP economic calendar estimate).
  • Unemployment rate: 4.3% in March 2026.
  • Nowflation: no payroll nowcast is on record for April 2026. Watch average hourly earnings against the Gauge: real wages are the inflation story in this report.

The Nowflation call

No payroll nowcast is on record for April 2026. Watch average hourly earnings against the Gauge: real wages are the inflation story in this report.

Competing forecasts

ForecasterCallMiss
Street consensus+62K−86K
Prior month (naive) (closest)+185K+37K

Grading

April 2026 payrolls +148K (reported May 8, 2026), unemployment 4.3% (prior +185K). Source: BLS, from series PAYEMS (monthly change) and UNRATE.

Related: Jobs and wages · Real wages · Series PAYEMS · Release calendar