U.S. Economy Loses 23,000 Jobs in July; Public Schools Shed Nearly 50,000 Positions

NewsData.io · United States · Aug 7, 2026

The U.S. economy unexpectedly shed 23,000 jobs in July, far below forecasts of nearly 100,000 gains, with local public school employment accounting for the largest drag at nearly 50,000 lost positions — the steepest seasonally adjusted July drop since at least 2015. Restaurants, bars, and retailers also cut tens of thousands of jobs, while private employers added 30,000. Prior months were revised sharply downward, wiping out 103,000 previously reported jobs. The labor force participation rate fell to 61.4%, its lowest since February 2021, as 264,000 Americans exited the workforce entirely.