Updated May 2026 · Bureau of Labor Statistics
What Is Nonfarm Payrolls (Monthly Change)?
Nonfarm Payrolls (Monthly Change) is currently at 115K, down -70.0K from the previous reading of 185.00K. The series is published by Bureau of Labor Statistics on a monthly schedule, last updated 2026-04-01.
Current Reading
How to Read This Reading
115K sits in the middle of the recent historical range for Jobs Added, consistent with ongoing trend conditions rather than a clear inflection point.
Jobs Added has moved lower from 185.00K to 115K since the prior monthly release — a sharp move of -70.0K. Pair this with the related indicators below before drawing strong conclusions; isolated moves on a single release often look larger than they really are.
Employment indicators describe the state of the labor market — how many people are working, how many are looking, and how fast wages are rising. They are among the most timely cyclical signals available. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the monthly Employment Situation that drives most of these readings.
What Jobs Added Measures
Nonfarm payrolls measure the net change in employment across all sectors except farming. It is the most closely watched indicator of labor market momentum and is released on the first Friday of each month.
The economy added 228,000 jobs in March, a strong rebound from February's 117,000. Economists generally consider 150,000+ jobs per month as healthy growth. For executives, strong payroll numbers confirm consumer spending capacity and may signal the Fed will maintain or raise interest rates. Sector breakdowns reveal which industries are expanding — critical for workforce planning and market sizing.
Methodology
The BLS surveys approximately 119,000 businesses and government agencies representing roughly 629,000 worksites (Current Employment Statistics survey). The payroll figure counts the number of positions, not people — so one person with two jobs counts twice. Data is seasonally adjusted and frequently revised in subsequent months.
ExecBolt does not estimate, model, or interpolate this value — every reading on this page is pulled directly from Bureau of Labor Statistics (series PAYEMS). For full sourcing standards and citation guidance, see the methodology page; for plain-language background on the underlying concept, see the learn library; for live cross-checks against related series, see the indicators dashboard.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Nonfarm Payrolls (Monthly Change) |
| Source | Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Series ID | PAYEMS |
| Frequency | Monthly |
| Category | employment |
| Last updated | 2026-04-01 |
| Next release | 2026-05-02 |
Related Indicators
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Nonfarm Payrolls (Monthly Change) right now?
Nonfarm Payrolls (Monthly Change) is currently at 115K, down -70.0K from the previous reading of 185.00K. The series is published by Bureau of Labor Statistics on a monthly schedule, last updated 2026-04-01.
How is Jobs Added calculated?
The BLS surveys approximately 119,000 businesses and government agencies representing roughly 629,000 worksites (Current Employment Statistics survey). The payroll figure counts the number of positions, not people — so one person with two jobs counts twice. Data is seasonally adjusted and frequently revised in subsequent months.
What does Jobs Added mean for business?
The economy added 228,000 jobs in March, a strong rebound from February's 117,000. Economists generally consider 150,000+ jobs per month as healthy growth. For executives, strong payroll numbers confirm consumer spending capacity and may signal the Fed will maintain or raise interest rates. Sector breakdowns reveal which industries are expanding — critical for workforce planning and market sizing.
How often is Jobs Added updated?
Jobs Added is published on a monthly schedule by Bureau of Labor Statistics. The most recent reading is dated 2026-04-01; the next scheduled release is 2026-05-02.
Where can I verify this number?
The primary source for Nonfarm Payrolls (Monthly Change) is Bureau of Labor Statistics at https://www.bls.gov/ces/ (series PAYEMS). The historical series is also archived at U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and available via API for programmatic verification.