U.S. adds 162,000 jobs as unemployment holds at 4.1%
August hiring outpaced the average monthly gain over the previous year, with growth in restaurants, local government education, and manufacturing.
U.S. employers added 162,000 jobs in August, while the unemployment rate remained at 4.1%, according to the latest employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The increase exceeded the average monthly gain of 31,000 jobs recorded during the previous 12 months. Food services and drinking places added 59,000 jobs, while local government education added 42,000.
Manufacturing employment increased by 16,000 and is up by 58,000 jobs since December 2025. Machinery manufacturing and fabricated metal product manufacturing each added 6,000 jobs in August.
The information sector lost 23,000 jobs, including 8,000 positions among computing infrastructure providers, data processing companies, web-hosting businesses, and related services.
Average hourly earnings increased 0.3% to $37.75 and were up 3.1% from a year earlier. The labor force participation rate edged up to 61.6% but remained half a percentage point below its January level.
BLS also revised June and July employment gains upward by a combined 55,000 jobs. July’s initial estimate of a 23,000-job decline was revised to an increase of 21,000.
