July 2019 Jobs Report

Unemployment Rate: 3.7 percent

Jobs Created: 164,000

Employment and Unemployment

1. The Department of Labor reported the unemployment rate remained at 3.7 percent in July.

2. Nonfarm jobs grew by 164,000 in July. Economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal had expected 165,000 jobs.

3. Combined job growth for May and June was less than originally reported. Labor revised the job creation numbers down for May and June by a combined 41,000 jobs.  

4. The U-6 unemployment rate, a measure that also includes part-time and discouraged workers, fell 0.2 percentage point to 7.0 percent.

Labor Force Participation

1. The labor force participation rate, the share of people employed or looking for work, ticked up to 63.0 percent.

Wages

1. In July, average hourly earnings for all employees in private nonfarm jobs increased by 8 cents to $27.98. They are up 3.2 percent from a year ago.