Sept. 4 (UPI) — Nonfarm payrolls increased by 162,000 in August while the national unemployment rate remained firm at 4.1%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports on Friday.
Total employment’s job boost outpaced the 31,000 monthly job gain average over the past 12 months.
August’s report greatly outperformed the Dow Jones projection of 53,000 new payrolls.
Employment was up in food service, drinking establishments and local government education while jobs decreased in the information industry. Food and drink service jobs rose by 59,000, compared to the 12,000 monthly average of new hires over the past year.
Health care jobs continued to climb in August, though the gain was slower than the 12 month average, up 13,000 compared to the 32,000 average. Home health posted 11,000 new hires and hospitals added 8,000 jobs.
Construction and other major industries like mining, quarrying, oil and gas extraction and wholesale trade changed little for the month of August. Jobs in construction increased by 22,000. Nonresidential specialty trade contractors added 8,000 workers, about 2,000 more than the monthly average over the past year.
The average hourly earnings for all private nonfarm workers increased by an average of 10 cents, or about 0.3%, reaching $37.75. Over the past 12 months, average hourly wages have increased by 3.1%.
The average workweek also increased in August, up about 0.1% to 34.4 hours in August. Overtime hours remained unchanged from July’s 3.1 hours.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics report painted a different picture from ADP’s report on private payrolls on Wednesday. ADP reported that private payrolls increased by 38,000 in August, marking the slowest month of hiring this year.
ADP’s slow hiring figure was dragged down by 17,000 jobs lost in the manufacturing sector and 16,000 jobs lost in professional and business services.