US adds 162,000 jobs in August as unemployment holds at 4.1%
U.S. employers added 162,000 jobs in August 2026 and unemployment held at 4.1%, a rebound that may influence the Federal Reserve’s next interest-rate decision.
In short
- U.S.
- employers added 162,000 jobs in August 2026 and unemployment held at 4.1%, a rebound that may influence the Federal Reserve’s next interest-rate decision.
The United States added 162,000 jobs in August, while the unemployment rate remained at 4.1%, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released on September 4, 2026.
The increase marked a rebound after a weak summer. Revised figures showed employers added 31,000 jobs in June, up from an earlier estimate of 20,000, and 21,000 in July, reversing an initial estimate that payrolls had fallen by 23,000.
The latest report exceeded economists’ expectations of at least 50,000 new jobs, but other indicators still point to a cautious labour market. Payroll processor ADP estimated private employers added 38,000 jobs in August, while separate federal data showed little movement in job openings, layoffs and voluntary departures in July.
Economists have characterised the market as one in which employers are hiring and dismissing workers slowly. That relative stability is unfolding alongside renewed inflation pressure: annual inflation reached 3.4% in July, complicating the Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates.
Investors are watching whether stronger hiring and persistent price increases will prompt the central bank to raise rates before the end of 2026. Higher borrowing costs can curb inflation, but can also weaken employment and raise costs for mortgages, car loans and other credit.
