May 11, 2026 — While economists expected only 65,000 jobs to be added in April, U.S. employers actually added 115,000 positions. Despite rising energy costs, the on-again off-again war in Iraq, and other political strains, employers are adding to their payrolls.
Because of the February decline of 156,000, it was anticipated that April, too, would reveal a backslide, after the March gain of 185,000. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.3 percent in April, and the number of unemployed people changed little at 7.4 million. Both measures changed little over the year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Healthcare continues to carry the U.S. labor market, adding 37,000 jobs in April, slightly above its 12-month average of 32,000. Without consistent hiring in hospitals and care facilities, the U.S. would likely be reporting net job losses monthly. However, the hiring is heavily concentrated in residential and home-based care.
Mechanical, electrical and HVAC services are seeing the fastest growth as hospitals integrate AI and IoT into their physical plants. Renovation and repair contracts are up as 68% of hospital plants are now over 30 years old. Further, the integration of Digital Twins and occupancy sensors are making hospitals smarter. Outsourcing is growing as a cost-cutting measure, with organizations like Cushman & Wakefield and JLL providing specialized services.
FMLink’s editors and the publisher noted discussions around the severe shortage of HVAC and automation technicians while attending the AHR Expo, Las Vegas, NFMT Charlotte, and ConnexFM Orlando industry conferences in the first four months of this year. In May 2026, it appears that companies are increasingly turning to outsourced Integrated Facility Management (IFM) models to gain access to these specialized labor pools. Finding the right employees to fill staff shortages can be achieved by posting positions for the readers of FMLink and The McMorrow Reports.
This week’s healthcare FM jobs on the FMLink Job Board represent the need for technical talent:
- Engineering Specialist-Facilities, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
- Director Facility Management, CommonSpirit Health, Oildale, CA
- Facilities Management Director, Health South, Sunrise, FL
- Facilities Management Director, Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Bangor, Bangor, ME
- Facility Manager, Healthcare Services Group, Ambler, PA
- Hospital Facilities Manager via JLL, Beckley, WV
- Facilities Medical Center Maintenance/Operations Manager, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY
- Facilities & Equipment Manager, Thrive Pet Healthcare, Baton Rouge, LA
Our career center, the FMLink Job Board, connects facility managers, planners and related commercial planning and design professionals across all disciplines and career stages with employers, offering career opportunities. It is powered by YM Careers, provider of job websites and career centers for organizations that serve specialized members.
In addition to serving as a robust source of up to thousands of facility management professional job opportunities, the FMLink Job Board offers career planning advice to facilities management professionals and employers.
