187,000 +
Total Jobs Added*
3.8 %
Unemployment Rate
Total non-farm payroll employment increased by 187,000 in August, and the unemployment rate rose to 3.8 percent. Employment continued to trend up in health care, leisure and hospitality, social assistance, and construction. Employment in transportation and warehousing declined. The number of unemployed persons increased by 514,000 to 6.4 million. Both measures are little different from a year earlier, when the unemployment rate was 3.7 percent and the number of unemployed persons was 6.0 million.
USA Industry Specific Updates – August 2023
(-) Means Jobs Decreased MoM
Professional & Business Services
+19,000
- Temporary help services -19,000
- Professional, scientific, and technical services +21,000
Leisure and Hospitality
+40,000
- Industry employment remains below the pre-pandemic level by 1.7%
- Average monthly gains in the last 12 months +61,000
Healthcare
+71,000
- Ambulatory health care +40,000
- Hospitals +17,000
- Nursing and residential care +17,000
Construction
+22,000
- Specialty trade contractors +11,000
- Civil engineering construction +7,000
Transportation and Warehousing
-34,000
- Air Transportation +3,000
- Truck Transportation -37,000
Other
Sectors
- Social assistance +26,000
- Information Services -15,000
In August, the labor force participation rate rose by 0.2 percentage point to 62.8 percent, after being flat since March. The employment-population ratio was unchanged over the month at 60.4 percent.
Source: The US Bureau of Labor Statistics
