By Tom Burnett CFA
On August 7, 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its Employment Report for July. Total employment declined by 23,000 in the month. The unemployment rate dropped from 4.2% to 4.1% with 6.9 million job seekers which compares favorably with the latest job openings (August 4 report) of 7.4 million.
Average hourly earnings for nonfarm payroll workers rose $0.02 to $37.62, up 3.2% from a year ago.
Revisions to prior reports showed a decline of 103,000.
The next Employment Report will be issued on September 4, 2026.
Tom Burnett CFA is Director of Research