US employers added 162,000 jobs in August as earlier months were revised lower

Total nonfarm payroll employment in the United States rose by 162,000 in August 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its Employment Situation report on 4 September. The unemployment rate was 4.1%.

The headline figures

• Payrolls: +162,000
• Unemployment rate: 4.1%
• Average hourly earnings: up 10 cents, or 0.3%, to $37.75; up 3.1% over the year
• Labour force participation rate: 61.6%

The revisions matter as much as the headline

The BLS also revised its estimates for the two previous months. Payroll growth for June now stands at 31,000 and for July at 21,000. Taken together, the three months show a labour market adding jobs at a much slower pace than August alone suggests, which is why traders read the revisions alongside the headline number.

Where the jobs were

Employment grew in food services and drinking places and in local government education. The information sector lost jobs.

What it means for the dollar

The monthly jobs report is one of the two data releases, with consumer prices, that most often moves the dollar across the board. A strong headline with weak revisions tends to produce a sharp first move that reverses once traders digest the detail. That is a recurring pattern around this release, and it is covered in non-farm payrolls explained.

For the Federal Reserve, the report adds to a picture of slower hiring alongside inflation pushed higher by energy prices. The committee meets on 15–16 September.

Next release

The Employment Situation for September is scheduled for Friday 2 October 2026.