Blue collar worker in blue jeans and flannel holding a construction hat while standing in front of the american flag


The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics August jobs report demonstrated uninspiring numbers, including stale hiring trends.

Just 22,000 jobs were added nationally in August, down from the 73,000 added in July. This is noteworthy considering the July report was widely discussed.

The report, which was released Sept. 5, also shows an unemployment rate of 4.3 percent, which is up 0.1 percent since the previous report. In fact, this is the first time since May 2024 where the unemployment rate didn't stand between 4 and 4.2 percent. The unemployment rate was 4.1 percent for men, 3.8 for women, and 13.9 percent for teenagers. In total, 7.4 million qualifying workers were unemployed in August. The report also shows there were 6.4 million not in the labor force who claim to want a job.

Another continuing trend is a rise in health care work, but gains did slow. In August, 31,000 jobs were added, which is below the average of 42,000 jobs gained a month over the past year. This statistic is of interest to the cleaning industry considering its presence in hospitals, nursing homes, and other facility providing medical services.

Also of relevance to the cleaning industry is federal job growth. After all, empty offices need less cleaning. Federal employment dropped by 15,000 in August and is down by nearly 100,000 since January.

To review the full report, click here.