US employers added 57,000 jobs in June 2026, well below the forecast of 110,000–115,000, according to reports from Finnhub, Guardian Business, Bloomberg Markets, and Cnbc TOP. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also revised prior months downward by a combined 74,000 jobs. The unemployment rate moved to 4.2%, while the labour force participation rate declined to 61.5% as approximately 720,000 people exited the workforce. Private payrolls rose by only 49,000 versus an expected 110,000, and manufacturing payrolls contracted. Wage growth came in at +0.3% month-on-month and +3.5% year-on-year, in line with estimates.
The US dollar weakened following the release, with the DXY — the index measuring the dollar against a basket of major currencies — declining on the soft labour data. EURUSD, which moves inversely to dollar strength, rose in response to the same data. US Treasury bonds, tracked via TLT, were also reported in connection with the release, as softer labour data shifted expectations around the interest rate environment.
The BLS reported that initial jobless claims for the same week came in at 215,000, beating the 220,000 estimate, while factory orders fell 1.3% against a forecast of -1.8%. Guardian Business noted the combination of weak headline job creation and declining participation as indicators of a cooling labour market, with the downward revisions to prior months reinforcing that picture.
Sources: Finnhub, Guardian Business, Bloomberg Markets, Cnbc TOP