In a shock to some forecasters, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated on Sept. 4 that U.S. employers added 162,000 jobs in August, and revisions to prior months' totals reflected a stronger summer job market than previously thought.
Hiring was widespread, spanning goods production, services, and government jobs, according to Jim Baird, Plante Moran Financial Advisors' chief investment officer.
"Notably, it wasn't concentrated narrowly in a few sectors as has been the case during extended stretches over the last year," he said in a note to USA TODAY, adding that although the leisure and hospitality and health care sectors continued to add jobs, "solid gains in manufacturing, construction, government, and other parts of the service economy suggest
a broadening in hiring that points to a more balanced labor market."
While the overall August estimate may have been a welcome surprise to job seekers, one month's report is not enough to establish a trend, according to LinkedIn’s head of economics for the Americas Kory Kantenga.
"Taken together, the data point to a stable labor market, not an accelerating one," he said in a note to USA TODAY. "The strong gains in Leisure and Hospitality and Government are a rebound from earlier summer weakness, not a shift in trend. Do not expect a repeat."
Who was hiring in August, according to the BLS?
According to the report, "food services and drinking places" employment increased by 59,000 in August. The subsector is home to full-service restaurants, limited-service eateries, places that sell alcohol and special food services, including contractors and mobile food providers.
Not far behind was local government education, which added 42,000 roles in August as the school year kicked off in many places across the country. That sector includes public elementary and secondary schools, as well as local public colleges and universities.
Up next was the construction sector, which added 22,000 jobs last month. It's made up of carpenters, electricians, laborers, managers, operating engineers and other equipment operators.
Manufacturing also added 16,000 jobs in August. It's home to machinists, purchasing agents, production workers, as well as inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers.
Health care, typically a reliable engine of job growth, added 13,000 roles last month. A long list of occupations belong to this sector, ranging from doctors and nurses to physical therapists and pharmacists.
Do companies have plans to hire more?
U.S. employers announced plans to hire 12,325 workers last month, representing a 23% decline from July but marking the highest August total since 2022, according to a Sept. 3 Challenger, Gray & Christmas report.
So far in 2026, companies’ hiring plans have increased 37% when compared to the same period in 2025. Industries with the most announced hires in August were aerospace and defense, technology, and industrial goods, the report said.
“Employers are making plans to add workers, with 46% of those plans coming from manufacturing industries," Andy Challenger, the firm's workplace expert and chief revenue officer, said in a statement. "The questions are how long will it take employers to actually fill these roles and will they find workers with the requisite skills."
In projections released Aug. 27, the Labor Department estimated that the U.S. economy will add 5.9 million jobs between 2025 and 2035, with total employment growing 3.5%. That’s a much slower pace than the 10.9% growth recorded between 2015 to 2025. The department expects employment in the federal government and retail trade will decline over the next decade, while demand for workers will rise in health care and fields related to the AI buildout.
Reach Rachel Barber at rbarber@usatoday.com, follow her on X @rachelbarber_, and subscribe to her newsletter "Making More of Your Money" here.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Data showed hiring rebound in August. Where were all the jobs?
