Fed holds at 3.75–4%, 10–2, with two votes for a hike
The October 28, 2026 FOMC kept the range at 3-3/4 to 4 percent; Cook and Hammack wanted a quarter point more. Next morning: GDP +3.4%, PCE inflation 3.6%.
Archive. This is the Nonfarm payrolls, August 2026 release exactly as published. It is preserved rather than corrected: see the current release.
Economy · Indicator · Archive
Jobs +162,000
Payrolls rose 162,000 in August — five times the average of the prior twelve months — and the two previous months were revised UP by a combined 55,000. Unemployment held at 4.1%.
| Previous (July 2026, revised) | +21,000 — revised UP from −23,000 |
|---|---|
| Expected | — — we could not verify a consensus figure from a source we trust, so we are not printing one |
| Actual (August 2026) | +162,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% — unchanged |
| Revisions | June revised up 11,000 (to +31,000); July revised up 44,000 (to +21,000). Combined: +55,000 higher than previously reported. |
| For context | BLS notes the August gain is well above the average monthly gain of 31,000 over the prior twelve months. |
| Why it matters | The labour market that looked flat in July did not stay flat, and July itself was not a decline after all. The Fed raised twelve days later. |
The revision changed the story
July was published as a fall of 23,000 and revised to a gain of 21,000. August then added 162,000.
| June (first) | 20 |
|---|---|
| June (revised) | 31 |
| July (first) | -23 |
| July (revised) | 21 |
| August | 162 |
Change in jobs, thousandsSource: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Situation, August 2026
Related analysis
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Sources
- The Employment Situation — August 2026U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Sep 4, 2026 · Primary source