US adds 162,000 jobs in August and unemployment stays 4.1%
Business
August 2026 turned out stronger than anyone guessed for US jobs: 162,000 new positions were added, easily topping the predicted 53,000 and leaving July's slow growth far behind.
Even with this hiring surge, though, the unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%.
Economists cite aging, deportations, Fed watched
Some economists think the flat unemployment rate could be because fewer people are looking for work these days, thanks to an aging population and the Trump administration's strict deportation agenda.
With this surprise job growth, all eyes are now on what the Federal Reserve might do next as it tries to balance inflation and a changing workforce.