July Jobs Report: Economy Lost 23,000 Jobs, Women and Immigrant Workers Hardest Hit

NewsData.io · United States · Aug 7, 2026

The U.S. economy shed 23,000 jobs in July — well below expectations — while revisions to May and June data removed an additional 103,000 jobs from prior counts, according to the latest BLS report. Broad-based losses hit hospitality, education, retail, and finance, with economists pointing to immigration enforcement reducing labor supply in hospitality as a contributing factor. Over 845,000 women have exited the labor force so far this year, nearly double the rate of men, driven by childcare costs and return-to-office mandates. Wage growth slowed to 3.2% — its weakest in five years — while health care and construction (fueled by AI data center buildout) remained relative bright spots.