(Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Rising oil prices have made inflation the more pressing concern for the Federal Reserve recently, though the employment side of its dual mandate bears watching amid volatility in recent nonfarm payrolls reports. That's why the April jobs report is a key economic report to monitor. In January, for instance, the U.S. added 160,000 new positions. And in February, it lost 133,000 jobs. March job gains came in at 178,000. All told, the U.S. has added 205,000 new jobs so far in 2026, or 68,000 per month on average. "That amount indicates healthy employment growth for an economy that is experiencing slow labor-force growth," writes David Payne , staff economist and reporter for The Kiplinger Letter, in the Kiplinger jobs outlook . From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor.…