US employers added 162,000 jobs in August 2026
Total nonfarm payroll employment counts jobs on company payrolls, not people. Someone holding two jobs is counted twice. The figure quoted is the change from the previous month.
| This release | +162,000 |
|---|---|
| Previous (July 2026) | +21,000 |
| Change | +141,000 |
| A year earlier | −70,000 |
Each bar is one published observation. No smoothing, no projection.
| Sep 1, | 76 |
|---|---|
| Oct 1, | -140 |
| Nov 1, | 41 |
| Dec 1, | -17 |
| Jan 1, | 160 |
| Feb 1, | -156 |
| Mar 1, | 214 |
| Apr 1, | 148 |
| May 1, | 63 |
| Jun 1, | 31 |
| Jul 1, | 21 |
| Aug 1, | 162 |
What this measures
Total nonfarm payroll employment counts jobs on company payrolls, not people. Someone holding two jobs is counted twice. The figure quoted is the change from the previous month.
Why it matters
Payrolls is the single most market-moving monthly release in the United States, because the Federal Reserve's mandate covers employment as well as prices. A labour market cooling faster than expected pulls policy one way; an economy adding jobs while inflation sits above target pulls it the other.
What to be careful about
This number is revised twice, and the revisions are frequently larger than the market reaction to the first print. Treat any single month as provisional.
Recent readings
| Period | Payrolls |
|---|---|
| Sep 1, 2025 | +76,000 |
| Oct 1, 2025 | −140,000 |
| Nov 1, 2025 | +41,000 |
| Dec 1, 2025 | −17,000 |
| Jan 1, 2026 | +160,000 |
| Feb 1, 2026 | −156,000 |
| Mar 1, 2026 | +214,000 |
| Apr 1, 2026 | +148,000 |
| May 1, 2026 | +63,000 |
| Jun 1, 2026 | +31,000 |
| Jul 1, 2026 | +21,000 |
| Aug 1, 2026 | +162,000 |