The job vacancies that U.S. employers posted in April were up from 6.9 million in March and much higher than the 6.8 million economists had forecast.

There was surprising strength in the latest U.S. jobs report. Employers added 172,000 jobs in May, the third straight month of job gains. Overall, the labor market appears strong despite concerns about the Iran war, rising prices and artificial intelligence. Amna Nawaz speaks with Diane Swonk, chief economist at KPMG, a multinational accounting and advisory firm, for more analysis.

Hiring has bounced back this year from a miserable 2025, showing unexpected strength in the face of economic uncertainty and painfully high energy prices caused by the Iran war.

The U.S. added 172,000 jobs in May, beating expectations, as the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.3%. With gains in leisure and hospitality, health care and local government, the job situation again showed signs of improvement after a lackluster year in 2025. But the gains were not felt across industries. Jobs in movies and music […]