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The manufacturing industry added 7,000 jobs in May, regaining its footing after a lull in April, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Friday.
That’s about a 164% increase over the same time last year, which showed 11,000 job cuts. However, month over month, it’s a 100% improvement from April’s adjusted job data count, which is now at 0. The BLS initially reported 2,000 jobs were cut.
The latest employment data mirrors sentiments from the Institute for Supply Management’s Purchasing Managers’ Index May report. The employment index remained in contraction, registering at 48.6%, an improvement over April, according to the ISM. An employment index registering above 50.3% over time is generally consistent with increases in BLS manufacturing employment data, per the ISM.
Monthly job additions and losses from January 2025 to May 2026
