According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' July 2026 nonfarm payrolls data, overall nonfarm employment decreased by 23,000. While the private sector increased by 30,000, the government sector saw a significant decrease of 53,000.
By sector, goods-producing industries increased by 25,000, with construction increasing by 22,000 and manufacturing by 5,000, while non-durable goods decreased by 13,000.
The private service sector increased by only 5,000, with private education and health services seeing the largest increase at 25,000; professional and business services increased by 18,000, and information services by 11,000. The sectors with the largest job losses were leisure and hospitality (down 40,000), retail (down 19,400), and financial activities (down 14,000).
On average, nonfarm payrolls increased by 20,000 per month in July, down from 77,000 in June. Private sector employment increased by an average of 40,000 per month in July, down from 80,000 in June.
