【招银研究|海外宏观】美国失业率面临上行压力——美国非农就业数据点评（2025年4月）

Core Viewpoint - The U.S. non-farm employment data exceeded market expectations, indicating a steady expansion in the labor market, but signs of cooling are emerging, suggesting potential future increases in the unemployment rate [1][5][17]. Employment Data Summary - In April, the U.S. added 177,000 non-farm jobs, surpassing the market expectation of 138,000, with an unemployment rate of 4.2% and a labor participation rate of 62.6% [1][5]. - The three-month moving average for job additions stands at 155,000, reflecting a stable growth trend [5]. - Job growth is concentrated in sectors experiencing labor shortages, with education and healthcare contributing 70,000 jobs, trade adding 29,000, and leisure and hospitality contributing 24,000, accounting for 69.5% of the total job additions [5][6]. Signs of Labor Market Cooling - Job vacancy rates have declined, with the vacancy rate dropping by 0.5 percentage points to 4.3%, indicating a potential shift towards equilibrium in the labor market [8][10]. - The ratio of job vacancies to job seekers has decreased to 1.03, suggesting that the labor market is nearing a balance between supply and demand [8]. - Wage growth has softened, with average hourly earnings increasing by only 0.2% month-over-month and 3.8% year-over-year, indicating a shift from a "seller's market" to a "buyer's market" [12][14]. Unemployment Structure and Trends - The number of permanent jobless individuals surged by 105,000 to 1.915 million, while the number of individuals re-entering the labor market increased by 60,000 to 2.236 million, reflecting a deteriorating unemployment structure [15][17]. - Initial claims for unemployment benefits rose by 18,000 to 241,000, significantly above seasonal levels, indicating rising unemployment [15][16]. Economic Outlook and Federal Reserve Policy - The combination of tariff impacts on corporate profits and household finances may lead to an increase in the unemployment rate, prompting the Federal Reserve to consider rate cuts mid-year [17][19]. - Long-term, the strict immigration policies may affect labor supply, and the anticipated decline in interest rates could support economic stability, suggesting that any rise in unemployment may be relatively moderate [17][19]. Market Strategy - The company maintains a cautious approach towards U.S. Treasury bonds, with entry points set at 4.4% for 10-year bonds and 4.1% for 5-year bonds, while also anticipating a potential technical rebound in the U.S. dollar in Q2 [3][19]. - The market's reaction to the strong employment data indicates a belief in the resilience of the labor market, with expectations of three rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year [18][19].