U.S. Employment Trends Index Ticks Up in April Amid March Revisions

Key Facts

The Conference Board's Employment Trends Index (ETI) saw a marginal increase in April, reaching a level of 105.77. This uptick follows a downwardly revised figure of 105.52 for March. The data suggests that while employment growth may be losing some momentum, the labor market remains on a positive trajectory despite recent declines in white-collar sectors.

This reading aligns with other resilient labor data; per market data, the ADP Employment Change reported on May 6 showed an addition of 109,000 jobs, beating the 99,000 forecast. Furthermore, Initial Jobless Claims for the week ending May 7 came in at 200,000, lower than the anticipated 205,000, indicating that layoffs remain historically low despite broader economic tightening.

Traders are monitoring labor stability for clues on Fed policy, noting that the MBA 30-Year Mortgage Rate stood at 6.45% as of May 6, 2026. Upcoming catalysts include speeches from Federal Reserve officials, such as Kashkari, which may clarify if the 2.3% growth in unit labor costs (reported May 7) provides enough cooling for the central bank to maintain its current interest rate stance.