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Jobs Report for August 2026

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The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its August employment / unemployment report on September 4th, 2026.

Employment / Unemployment

  • Seasonally Adjusted U-3 is 4.1% Unchanged
  • Unadjusted U-3 is 4.3% down from 4.4%
  • Unadjusted U-6 is 7.8% down from 8.3%
  • Labor Force Participation is 61.6% up from 61.4%
  • Unadjusted Employment rose from 158.726 million to 158.880 million
  • Next Update: October 2nd, 2026

Summary:

The Adjusted U-3 was unchanged for the month, but UNADJUSTED Employment was Down slightly.

According to the BLS Commissioner’s report:

“Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 162,000 in August, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment increased in food services and drinking places and in local government education. The information industry lost jobs…

…education added 42,000 jobs in August, largely offsetting a decrease in the prior month… employment in manufacturing continued its upward trend (+16,000)… The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for June was revised up by 11,000, from +20,000 to +31,000, and the change for July was revised up by 44,000, from -23,000 to +21,000. With these revisions, employment in June and July combined is 55,000 higher than previously reported.“

As usual, they are talking about “Seasonally Adjusted Jobs”.

Looking at the Unadjusted Establishment Survey report, we see…
The BLS is currently reporting a rise from 158.726 million to 158.880 million, or 157,000. But last month they reported employment was 158.649 million, so it actually rose from 158.649 to 158.880 million, or 231,000.

[Read more…] about Jobs Report for August 2026

Unemployment and Employment Charts

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  • Unemployment Rate Chart – The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate from 1948 to the present is one of the most watched statistics. Where is it now and should you trust it?
  • Current U-6 Unemployment Rate– Many people consider the U-6 the “real” unemployment rate. See where it is now.
  • Current Employment Data – How many jobs are there actually? This chart shows Employment since Jan 2000 and what the current trend is.
  • Historical Employment Data Chart– How Many People Are Actually Employed? This chart shows the actual employment rate without all the mumbo-jumbo. It gives a clear picture of  the employment level in the United States from 1939 to the Present. When employment is rising the economy is growing. When the employment rate levels off or declines times are not so good. Take a look and see how employment rates correspond to recessions over time.
  • Current Employment vs Unemployment Chart When looking at employment vs. unemployment you would think that they are two sides of the same coin but the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) actually uses two entirely different surveys to calculate them. Looking at both on the same chart we can see some strange anomalies.
  • Misery Index– Created by economist Arthur Okun to help gauge the level of misery the average person is suffering. It is a combination of the inflation rate and the unemployment rate.
  • Unadjusted vs. Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rate– Often it appears that the Seasonally Adjusted numbers are going one way, while the unadjusted numbers are going in the opposite direction. Here is how it looks in chart form.
  • Seasonally Adjusted Unemployment Rate in Table form– If you want to see the actual numbers.
  • Is the Government Fudging Unemployment Numbers? Now there is an alternative measurement. We can also see a discrepancy in the Government’s own numbers by looking at the Employment vs. UnEmployment rate.
  • U-6 is the broadest measure of unemployment and includes all classes of Unemployed plus those ”marginally attached” and/or part-time for economic reasons. See What is the U-6 Unemployment Rate? for more details of all the “U” classifications.
  • What is the “Real” Unemployment Rate? Many economists believe that the popularly quoted Unemployment Rate understates the real unemployment rate because it fails to include workers who would like to work but have given up looking because they don’t think there are any jobs available for them.
  • What is the Labor Force Participation Rate? You might think that the Labor Force Participation Rate [LFPR] would mean the percentage of the population that is working but it doesn’t mean that at all. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the “Labor Force” is made up of both employed and unemployed people.  Unemployed people are defined as those who are actively looking for work. Once you stop looking (i.e discouraged workers) you are no longer in the official labor force.