U.S. Employment Rose by 162,000 Jobs in July

The latest monthly employment situation from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows that U.S. employers added 162,000 jobs to their payrolls in July. The biggest monthly gains occurred in retail trade (+47,000 jobs), food services and drinking places (+38,000), and professional and business services (+36,000). Employment dropped slightly over the month in construction (-6,000) and other services (-2,000).

The nation's unemployment rate improved to 7.4 percent in July. The unemployment rate for women (6.5%) and the black population (12.6%) improved in July. The rates for men (7.0%), teens (23.7%), and the Hispanic population (9.4%) showed little or no change over the month. Overall, the number of unemployed persons in the U.S. has fallen by 1.2 million over the past 12 months.

More employment figures and unemployment details are available in the full release from the BLS. All employment and unemployment estimates in this post are seasonally adjusted.