US ad employment rebounded with strong gain of 2,100 jobs in April
What recession? Ad business shows resilience with biggest job growth since last summer despite the stresses in advertising and media. Unemployment rate hasn’t been lower than current level since 1953.
Tekef
Employment in advertising, public relations and related services jumped by 2,100 jobs in April, a surprising rebound that marked the biggest monthly gain since last summer.
For the overall economy, U.S. employers added 253,000 jobs in April, the highest job gain since January, according to the monthly employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The unemployment rate fell to 3.4% in April from 3.5% in March, a reflection of a tight labor market with significant job openings despite all the economic stress. You’d need to go back to 1953 to find a lower unemployment rate.
Below, Ad Age Datacenter breaks down the report—by the numbers.
Advertising, PR and related services
U.S. employment in the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) classification of advertising, public relations and related services came in at 494,800 jobs in April based on seasonally adjusted figures.
The ad market gained 2,100 jobs in April following a loss of 1,900 jobs in March.
BLS revised the March figure from a preliminary loss of 2,100 jobs reported a month ago.
The ad business scored strong job gains in 2021 through summer 2022 as the advertising market rebounded from pandemic losses. Then ad staffing hit a plateau, with employment in April (494,800) essentially unchanged from last August (494,600).
Monthly advertising employment has ebbed and flowed since last fall. Staffing decreased in four months (September, November, December and March) and increased in four months (October, January, February and April).
The April gain of 2,100 jobs was the highest since last August.
The job market remains unsettled with layoffs at tech companies, major non-tech firms including Walt Disney Co. and agencies including Interpublic Group of Cos.’ R/GA.
This BLS jobs bucket includes ad agencies, PR agencies and related services such as media buying, media reps, outdoor advertising, direct mail and other services related to advertising. Ad agencies account for the biggest portion—about 46%—of those jobs.
Read more: What to do if you are laid off from your ad job
Ad agencies
U.S. ad agency employment rose to 227,300 jobs in March, up 400 jobs for the month on a non-seasonally adjusted basis.
That followed a gain of 800 jobs in February after agencies reduced payroll in November, December and January.
BLS reports ad agency employment on a one-month lag, so April figures aren’t yet available. But the April jump in advertising, public relations and related services employment suggests that ad agency staffing increased last month.
Unemployment rate
The U.S. unemployment rate, based on a separate survey of households, dropped a tick to 3.4% in April from 3.5% in March.
The unemployment rate is now back to its January level of 3.4% amid a tight labor market.
Prior to 2023, the jobless rate hadn’t been this low since 1969. Back in that period, the unemployment rate held at 3.4% from September 1968 through May 1969.
Again, you’d have to go back to 1953 to find an unemployment rate below 3.4%.
