US Employment Situation
August 2026
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Last update:Total nonfarm payroll employment varied by August 2026 in +162,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
| June 2026 | July 2026 | August 2026 | |
| total | 158,892,000 | 158,913,000 | 159,075,000 |
| total monthly variation | +94,000 | +21,000 | +162,000 |
| annual variation | +414,000 | +371,000 | +603,000 |
| annual percentage variation | +0.26% | +0.23% | +0.38% |
The unemployment rate in US was 4.10% in August 2026, a 0.0 percentage points variation compared with the previous month, and -0.2 percentage points compared the previous year:
nonfarm employment total monthly variation
The following chart and table show annual percentage variation data by industry sectors:
retail tradeleisure and hospitalityresidential building constructiontruck transportation
annual percentage variation by sectorShaded area = recession
| June 2026 | July 2026 | August 2026 | |
| accommodation | -0.64% | -0.51% | +0.17% |
| construction | +0.63% | +0.92% | +1.46% |
| durable goods | +0.24% | +0.54% | +0.92% |
| financial activities | -1.04% | -1.16% | -1.08% |
| government | -1.05% | -1.26% | -0.90% |
| information | -3.49% | -3.25% | -4.02% |
| leisure and hospitality | +0.73% | +0.54% | +0.78% |
| manufacturing | -0.22% | -0.02% | +0.18% |
| mining and logging | -1.14% | -0.66% | +0.33% |
| nondurable goods | -0.98% | -0.94% | -1.02% |
| private education and health services | +2.23% | +1.94% | +1.96% |
| residential building construction | -1.56% | -1.26% | +0.10% |
| retail trade | +0.31% | +0.37% | +0.31% |
| service providing | +0.29% | +0.22% | +0.33% |
| total nonfarm | +0.26% | +0.23% | +0.38% |
| total private | +0.49% | +0.49% | +0.60% |
| trade transportation and utilities | -0.05% | +0.06% | +0.12% |
| transportation and warehousing | -1.02% | -0.87% | -0.77% |
| truck transportation | -1.19% | -1.15% | -0.67% |