United States Private Nonfarm Payrolls

US Private Nonfarm Payrolls Rise to Record

Brief · Published 2026-08-31 · Data period 2026-08-31

This brief was generated automatically from the published data; no human byline is attached. Read the methodology.

Private nonfarm payrolls rose to 135,752 thousand in August, from 135,625 thousand in July. The reading marked a sixth consecutive monthly increase and a new all-time high for the series, which began in January 1939. Average hourly earnings stood at $37.75 in August, while the unemployment rate was 4.1%, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

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Source & methodology

Data source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.

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