Non-Farm Payrolls rose by 115k in April, beating expectations; Bitcoin remains up, climbing back to $80k

On May 9, Bitcoin rebounded to above $80,000. According to data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Thursday, the U.S. April nonfarm payrolls added 115k jobs, beating the market expectation of 55k; the unemployment rate remained at 4.3%, in line with expectations. On the same day, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that the U.S. military attacked two Iranian oil tankers attempting to break through a maritime blockade, further escalating military tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. April nonfarm payrolls exceed expectations

(Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

According to a report released by the BLS on May 8, 2026, the key employment indicators for April were as follows: nonfarm payrolls added 115k jobs (expected 55k); unemployment rate 4.3% (in line with expectations); average hourly earnings rose 0.2% month-over-month (expected 0.3%), and increased 3.6% year-over-year (expected 3.8%), both coming in below expectations. BLS data also showed that the labor force size fell again that month, and technology-related positions continued to decline.

According to QCP Capital’s weekly report, pricing in the perpetual swap market currently indicates that the probability of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates before April 2027 is over 50%. QCP Capital said that expectations for earlier rate cuts have been further pushed back, linking the Fed’s outlook to concerns about energy-driven inflation and uncertainty surrounding developments in the Strait of Hormuz.

Escalation in the Strait of Hormuz: CENTCOM confirms attack on Iranian tankers

In an official statement released by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) on Friday, the U.S. military attacked two Iranian oil tankers loaded with no cargo attempting to break through the U.S. maritime blockade—M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda. U.S. Navy fighter jets fired munitions at the two tankers’ smokestacks and rendered them unable to navigate.

An official statement from the UAE’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that its air defense systems intercepted two Iranian ballistic missiles and three drones launched by Iran, marking Iran’s second attack on the UAE this week. The day before, the U.S. said three destroyers in the Strait of Hormuz were attacked by Iranian missiles, drones, and fast boats, and all threats were intercepted.

U.S. Secretary of State Rubio said the U.S. expects to “receive today” Iran’s formal response to the ceasefire proposal; U.S. President Trump said the ceasefire agreement is still in effect.

Bitcoin market performance and ETF fund flows

According to TradingView data, after Bitcoin bottomed at $79,250, it gradually recovered during the trading sessions in Europe and the U.S., rising back above $80,000. Jake Kennis, a senior research analyst at Nansen, said this rebound was mainly driven by institutional spot buying and short liquidations; Kennis also noted that during the rebound, the funding rate remained relatively weak, and HyperLiquid’s trading activity before the release of the nonfarm report only showed modest positioning.

According to SoSoValue data, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a net outflow of $277.5 million on Thursday, ending the previous five-day cumulative inflow of more than $1.7 billion. Farside Investors data showed that Fidelity’s Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund saw an outflow of $129 million, while BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust saw an outflow of $98 million.

Views from major analysts

Crypto analyst Ted Pillows: Bitcoin needs to hold the $78,000 to $79,000 support zone before it can attempt another rebound; a break below that zone faces a deeper pullback

Technical analyst Michaël van de Poppe: A recent pullback after strong upward gains is normal; $76,000 is a key support level

Technical analyst Rekt Capital: After bouncing from macro support, Bitcoin is currently trading between the 21-month and 50-month exponential moving averages (EMA)

FAQ

What are the specific figures and the publication source for the U.S. April nonfarm employment data?

According to a report released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on May 8, 2026, April nonfarm payrolls added 115k jobs, above the market expectation of 55k; the unemployment rate held at 4.3%; average hourly earnings rose 3.6% year-over-year, below the expected 3.8%.

What are the official confirmation sources for the military conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, and why were the involved tankers?

The news that the U.S. military attacked Iranian tankers was confirmed by an official statement from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The vessels involved were M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda. The news that the UAE intercepted Iranian ballistic missiles and drones was confirmed by an official statement from the UAE’s Ministry of Defense.

What is the scale of the outflows from Bitcoin ETFs, and what are the data sources?

According to SoSoValue data, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded a net outflow of $277.5 million on Thursday. Farside Investors data showed that the fund under Fidelity saw an outflow of $129 million, and the fund under BlackRock saw an outflow of $98 million.