Nowflation › Release calendar › May 2026 jobs report

May 2026 jobs report: +63K — Graded

Countdown

Released Friday, June 5, 2026 at 8:30 AM ET. Graded below.

What to watch

  • Prior: payrolls +179K in April 2026.
  • Street consensus: +85K payrolls (FMP economic calendar estimate).
  • Unemployment rate: 4.3% in April 2026.
  • Nowflation: no payroll nowcast is on record for May 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 May 2026. Watch average hourly earnings against the Gauge: real wages are the inflation story in this report.

Competing forecasts

ForecasterCallMiss
Street consensus (closest)+85K+22K
Prior month (naive)+179K+116K

Grading

May 2026 payrolls +63K (reported June 5, 2026), unemployment 4.3% (prior +179K). Source: BLS, from series PAYEMS (monthly change) and UNRATE.

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