The
Labor Market Insights report provides a monthly overview of key labor market statistics.
As the changing workforce and economic conditions continue to be top of mind for workers compensation executives, this valuable resource delivers timely perspectives on what the latest jobs reports mean for the industry. The
data and insights shared in this monthly publication are designed to provide just-in-time information to help industry leaders make informed decisions.
Key Insights:
The economy, on net, added a solid 115,000 jobs in April, with 123,000 jobs added in the private sector. With a second consecutive monthly increase in employment, the 11-month streak of alternating employment gains and losses has been broken.
Industry breadth continued to improve in April. While health care continued to lead, employment also grew in construction, transportation and warehousing, retail and wholesale trade, leisure and hospitality, and other services. Other industry groups saw little change or small declines.
The unemployment rate was steady in April and has remained in a range of 4.0% to 4.5% over the past several years. While up from the 2023 lows, the unemployment rate remains historically low, and the trend of the past several years indicates that the labor market is still in balance.
Big Picture: The monthly average of employment growth has accelerated in early 2026 to 76,000 jobs per month, up from just 10,000 jobs per month in 2025. While it is still early, the labor market appears to be strengthening to start the year.
Due to the timing of data collection, it is unlikely that the latest employment report reflects the economic impact of the recent rise in oil and gas prices. Higher production and transportation costs for businesses may cause employment growth to slow again.
Click the image to access the
Labor Market Insights report.
Connect with our
Economics Team if you have questions or want to gain additional insights.
This article is provided solely as a reference tool to be used for informational purposes only. The information in this article shall not be construed or interpreted as providing legal or any other advice. Use of this article for any purpose other than as set forth herein is strictly prohibited.