The US labor force participation rate climbed to 61.6% in August, up from 61.4% in July, which had marked a five-year low. The American economy added 162,000 nonfarm payroll jobs, bringing the civilian labor force to 169.777 million people, while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%. However, on a year-over-year basis, the participation rate remains down 0.7 percentage points, from 62.3% in August 2025 to 61.6% currently. Long-term unemployment remains a persistent problem, with workers unemployed for 27 weeks or longer accounting for 27.0% of all unemployed. Job gains were driven by food services and local government education, sectors sensitive to seasonal hiring patterns.
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