AI Data Insight
US total employment in Q2 (May) 2026 climbed to 162,897 thousand, steadily increasing by 116,000 from the previous month. During the same period, nonfarm payroll gains significantly beat market consensus, and the unemployment rate maintained at 4.3%. This indicates that despite geopolitical and inflation disturbances, the US labor market remains resilient, which also significantly increases the probability of the Federal Reserve (Fed) keeping interest rates high in the short term.