WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. economy added 162,000 net new jobs in August and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.1 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The rise in total nonfarm employment was a strong rebound from the July figure, which the BLS revised upward from -23,000 to +21,000. Combined with an increase of 11,000 jobs in June, employment in June and July is 55,000 higher than previously reported.
The August total more than triples what economists surveyed by Dow Jones expected for the month (+53,000), according to CNBC. Additionally, the August gains are more than five times the average monthly gain over the past 12 months (+31,000).
Among employment sectors, the biggest gains were seen in food services and drinking places (+59,000) and local government education (+42,000). Other industries that experienced increases last month include construction (+22,000), manufacturing (+16,000) and healthcare (+13,000). Little change was seen in other major sectors including retail trade, transportation and warehousing, financial activities and professional and business services.
The BLS also reported that 23,000 information jobs were lost in August, which continues the sector’s downward trend. The information sector, which comprises categories including broadcasting, content creation, data processing, web hosting, infrastructure providers and publishing, has averaged 8,000 jobs losses per month over the past 12 months.