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The United States labor market demonstrated unexpected resilience in April, with job openings seeing a notable rise, even as tariff policies from President Donald Trump stirred economic unease. According to Tuesday’s data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of available jobs climbed to 7.39 million in April, up from a revised 7.2 million in March, exceeding analysts’ expectations.

Amid this positive jobs data, major financial markets showed gains for the day. By midafternoon, the S&P 500 had increased by 0.6 percent, while the Nasdaq composite index saw a rise of about 0.9 percent.

The boost in job openings primarily came from white-collar sectors and the healthcare industry. In contrast, sectors reliant on discretionary spending, like hotels and restaurants, saw a decline in job vacancies. Likewise, tariff-sensitive areas such as manufacturing, construction, and state and local government sectors also reported fewer openings.

“The labor market is returning to more normal levels despite the uncertainty within the macro outlook,” noted Jeffrey Roach, chief economist for LPL Financial, highlighting the labor market’s resilience amidst a broader slowdown.

April’s job market data provides a more optimistic economic outlook than earlier indicators had suggested. Despite the turmoil sparked by a series of tariff announcements, which led to a significant cooling in consumer spending, the labor market’s solid footing is evident with an unemployment rate near historic lows at 4.2 percent.

Nonetheless, the job market’s strength remains precarious. Sarah House, senior economist at Wells Fargo, pointed out that businesses are cautious with their head count due to the uncertain growth outlook for the rest of the year, impacted by fluctuating trade policies.

With the Bureau of Labor Statistics set to release the May jobs report on Friday, economists anticipate seeing the continued effects of tariffs. Projections suggest employers will add 125,000 jobs in May, a drop from April’s 177,000, with the unemployment rate potentially rising slightly to 4.3 percent.