Restaurants And Local School Payrolls Drove August's 162,000 Job Gain
The Labor Department revised June and July up a combined 55,000 even as the information sector shed 23,000 jobs in August.
- Food services added 59,000 jobs and local government education 42,000, the two largest August gains.
- Manufacturing rose only 16,000 jobs, health care 13,000, well behind the two leading sectors.
- Unemployment held at 4.1% and average hourly earnings rose 0.3%, to $37.75 an hour.
Why it matters: Government paychecks and restaurant tips, more than factories, carried this labor market in August.
BLS Employment Situation Summary, August 2026 ↗ · Sep 5, 20269/5/26