August Jobs Report: Nonfarm Payrolls Rise 162,000 Amid 'Fragile' Labor Market

HR Dive · United States · Sep 4, 2026

The U.S. added 162,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in August, beating expectations and driven by food services, while the unemployment rate held at 4.1%. Upward revisions to June and July figures offered additional relief, though economists from ZipRecruiter, Glassdoor, and ManpowerGroup caution that momentum remains unstable due to sensitivity to inflation, interest rates, and geopolitical tensions. For staffing firms, a key signal: hiring managers surveyed by Express Employment Professionals and The Harris Poll report it is taking longer to fill open positions than two years ago, with over a quarter saying the process now takes at least four weeks.