August job growth fell short of expectations, and even health care, the steadiest source of new jobs, lost steam.

U.S. employers added just 22,000 jobs last month as unemployment rose to 4.3 percent, the Labor Department said Friday — well below economists' forecast of 80,000 and July's gain of 79,000.

Health care has fueled hiring in recent years, but the latest report suggests that momentum may be slowing. The Labor Department said the industry added 31,000 jobs last month, well below its 42,000 monthly average over the past year. Social assistance, which includes child care services, added 16,200 jobs.

Which industries added jobs?

Major industries that added jobs in August 2025 (preliminary data):

• Health care and social assistance: 46,800
• Leisure & hospitality: 28,000
• Other services: 12,000
• Retail trade: 10,500
• Transportation and warehousing: 3,600

Together, health care and social assistance still led all sectors in August, adding 46,800 jobs, but that's the smallest monthly increase since January 2022, Bloomberg noted. The slowdown is striking, since........

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