US Private Employment Growth Slows Again in August
Private businesses in the US added 38K jobs in August 2026, the least since January, following an upwardly revised 46K in July and below forecasts of 47K, reflecting a broader slowdown in the labor market. Education and health care (45K), construction (12K), leisure and hospitality (16K) and financial activities (6K) showed solid hiring. In contrast, ...
In August 2026, private US businesses added a meager 38,000 jobs, the lowest figure since January, following a revised 46,000 in July and below the anticipated 47,000, signaling a broader slowdown in the labor market. The education and healthcare sectors led hiring with 45,000 jobs, followed by construction at 12,000, leisure and hospitality at 16,000, and financial activities with 6,000.
Conversely, manufacturing lost 17,000 jobs, professional services shed 16,000, trade, transportation, and utilities saw a 5,000 job decline, natural resources and mining experienced a 5,000 job reduction, and information shed 4,000 jobs. Large companies added 34,000 positions, while businesses employing fewer than 50 workers contributed 3,000 jobs.
Despite these mixed hiring trends, wage growth remained steady, reflecting the complexities of demographic changes, persistent inflation, and AI's impact on employment. Dr. Nela Richardson of ADP noted, "Pay can tell us a lot about today's choppy hiring. To understand hiring patterns, you have to look deeply into where pay growth is accelerating, where it’s slowing, and for whom."
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