US added 162,000 jobs in August, blowing past expectations 

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Today's Top Stories - September 4, 2026

Today's Top Stories - September 4, 2026

The U.S. economy added 162,000 jobs in August, according to new data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). 

The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1 percent. Economists had expected U.S. employers to add 53,000 jobs last month and the jobless rate to hold steady at 4.1 percent, according to The Wall Street Journal. 

The August jobs data marked a sharp reversal from July, which initially showed the economy losing 23,000 jobs. However, the BLS revised jobs data from the past two months to show employers added 31,000 and 21,000 jobs in June and July, respectively. 

Friday’s numbers “may corroborate that recent softness was temporary rather than indicative of a broader deterioration,” Jerry Tempelman, vice president of economic and fixed income research at Mutual of America Capital Management, said in a statement.

The uptick last month was driven by an........

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