August Jobs Report: U.S. Adds 22,000 Jobs

In August 2025, the U.S. labor market added just 22,000 non-farm payroll jobs, continuing a stretch of subdued job growth.

This modest gain marks the fourth straight month of weak employment increases and comes alongside revised figures for June and July that resulted in a net loss of 21,000 jobs compared to previous estimates.

The unemployment rate inched up slightly to 4.3%, with 7.4 million people unemployed.

Is the U.S. Job Market Growing?

August’s report confirms that job growth remains sluggish, with the economy essentially treading water in terms of employment gains.

A small increase in healthcare jobs was offset by declines in federal government positions and resource extraction industries. Federal employment fell by another 15,000 jobs and is now down 97,000 since its January peak.

The labor force participation rate was little changed at 62.3%, and the employment-population ratio held steady at 59.6%. Both have declined over the past year, suggesting a gradual cooling in workforce engagement.

U.S. Unemployment Rates by Group – August 2025

• Adult women: 3.8% (up from 3.7%)
• Adult men: 4.1% (up from 4.0%)
• Teenagers: 13.9% (down from 15.2%)
• Whites: 3.7% (unchanged)
• Blacks: 7.5% (up from 7.2%)
• Asians: 3.6% (down from 3.9%)
• Hispanics: 5.3% (up from 5.0%)

Key Employment Statistics for August 2025

• Long-term unemployed (27 weeks or more): Little changed at 1.9 million, making up 25.7% of the total unemployed.
• Average hourly earnings: Increased by 10 cents to $36.53, a 3.7% rise over the past year.
• Average workweek: Held steady at 34.2 hours; for production and nonsupervisory employees, it remained at 33.7 hours.

Sectors with Notable Job Trends in August

Healthcare

Healthcare employment grew by 31,000 jobs, falling below its recent average. Gains were seen in ambulatory health care services (+13,000), nursing and residential care facilities (+9,000), and hospitals (+9,000), pointing to ongoing—but slower—growth in the sector.

Social Assistance

The social assistance sector added 16,000 jobs in August, with all gains coming from individual and family services. Growth in this area continues at a steady pace.

Government

Federal government employment declined by 15,000 jobs, extending the sector’s contraction to 97,000 jobs lost since January.

August Jobs Report Summary

The August 2025 jobs report underscores a cooling labor market, with only 22,000 jobs added and continued weakness across several sectors. Public sector employment saw further cuts, and private sector job creation slowed.

Healthcare and social assistance remain the most consistent sources of growth, but even those sectors are showing signs of softening. Meanwhile, wage growth continues steadily, and the unemployment rate remains stable despite edging higher.