Job Growth Beats Forecasts Even As Broadcast Employment Slides In May.

There was a larger the usual dip in the number people working in May according to new government data. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says 333,200 Americans worked at broadcast and content creation companies last month, which was a 4% decline from March and down 2.6% from a year earlier. But BLS data is often revised, so it may be some months before the size of the decline is proven accurate. The government doesn’t release radio-specific monthly employment figures.

The broadcast figures came despite an upbeat report on U.S. employment. BLS says total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 172,000 in May, more than twice what analysts had been expecting. As a result, the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.3%.

Revisions to earlier months offer even stronger positive signals. BLS revised March’s growth rate up by 29,000 and April’s figures were increased up by 64,000. The result is that with the revisions, employment in March and April combined was 93,000 higher than previously reported.

In the other media-related sector, BLS data shows employment in publishing held steady in April after a March decline. It totals 900,100, down 0.1% month-to-month.

The number of people working in advertising and public relations is closely tied to how well media companies can expect to do in the coming months, and the government’s April data shows a second month of positive momentum. BLS says the ad sector’s workforce increased 1.7%. That is a bigger increase than April’s 0.9% gain. That puts it nearly even with the 483,300 that worked in advertising and public relations a year earlier despite some big ad agencies announcing layoffs in recent months due to AI efficiencies.

BLS says the strongest gains in May occurred in leisure and hospitality, local government, and health care. Employment in financial activities declined and that sector is down by 107,000 since a recent peak in May 2025.

Average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 12 cents in April to $37.53. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased 3.4%. And the average workweek for all employees remained at 33.8 hours.

Kory Kantenga, Head of Economics at LinkedIn, says payroll growth has been “inconsistent” since 2024, but geopolitical conflict and higher energy prices don’t seem to be yet impacting the job market. “The economic damage to date appears contained,” he writes in a post.

Kantenga also reports LinkedIn data indicate hiring rebounded in May (+7.8%) after an April slowdown. However, hiring remains below a year ago. “The May rebound likely reflects increased month-to-month volatility rather than a meaningful reacceleration,” he says, noting hiring increased across most industries.