U.S. Unemployment Rate Up to 3.5% for June
THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION -- JULY 2023
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 187,000 in July, and the unemployment rate
changed little at 3.5 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.
Job gains occurred in health care, social assistance, financial activities, and
wholesale trade.
Household Survey Data
Both the unemployment rate, at 3.5 percent, and the number of unemployed persons,
at 5.8 million, changed little in July. The unemployment rate has ranged from 3.4
percent to 3.7 percent since March 2022. (See table A-1.)
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for Asians declined to 2.3
percent in July. The jobless rates for adult men (3.3 percent), adult women (3.1 percent),
teenagers (11.3 percent), Whites (3.1 percent), Blacks (5.8 percent), and Hispanics
(4.4 percent) showed little or no change over the month. (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)
Among the unemployed, the number of persons on temporary layoff decreased by 175,000
to 667,000 in July. The number of permanent job losers changed little at 1.4 million.
(See table A-11.)
The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little
changed at 1.2 million in July and accounted for 19.9 percent of all unemployed persons.
(See table A-12.)
The labor force participation rate was 62.6 percent for the fifth consecutive month.
The employment-population ratio, at 60.4 percent, remained little changed in July.
(See table A-1.)
The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons, at 4.0 million, changed
little in July. These individuals, who would have preferred full-time employment, were
working part time because their hours had been reduced or they were unable to find
full-time jobs. (See table A-8.)
The number of persons not in the labor force who currently want a job was 5.2 million
in July, little changed from the prior month. These individuals were not counted as
unemployed because they were not actively looking for work during the 4 weeks preceding
the survey or were unavailable to take a job. (See table A-1.)
Among those not in the labor force who wanted a job, the number of persons marginally
attached to the labor force was essentially unchanged at 1.4 million in July. These
individuals wanted and were available for work and had looked for a job sometime in
the prior 12 months but had not looked for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey.
The number of discouraged workers, a subset of the marginally attached who believed
that no jobs were available for them, changed little at 335,000 in July.
(See Summary table A.)
Establishment Survey Data
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 187,000 in July, less than the average monthly
gain of 312,000 over the prior 12 months. In July, job gains occurred in health care,
social assistance, financial activities, and wholesale trade. (See table B-1.)
In July, health care added 63,000 jobs, compared with the average monthly gain of
51,000 in the prior 12 months. Over the month, job growth occurred in ambulatory health
care services (+35,000), hospitals (+16,000), and nursing and residential care facilities
(+12,000).
Social assistance added 24,000 jobs in July, in line with the average monthly gain of
23,000 in the prior 12 months. Individual and family services added 19,000 jobs over
the month.
Employment in financial activities increased by 19,000 in July. The industry had added
an average of 16,000 jobs per month in the second quarter of the year, after employment
was essentially flat in the first quarter. Over the month, a job gain in real estate and
rental and leasing (+12,000) was partially offset by a loss in commercial banking (-3,000).
In July, employment in wholesale trade increased by 18,000, after showing little net
change in recent months.
Employment in the other services industry continued to trend up in July (+20,000), compared
with the average monthly gain of 15,000 over the prior 12 months. Employment in personal
and laundry services continued to trend up over the month (+11,000). Employment in other
services remains below its pre-pandemic February 2020 level by 53,000, or 0.9 percent.
Construction employment continued to trend up in July (+19,000), in line with the average
monthly gain of 17,000 in the prior 12 months. Over the month, job growth occurred in
residential specialty trade contractors (+13,000) and in nonresidential building construction
(+11,000).
In July, employment in leisure and hospitality was little changed (+17,000). The industry
has shown little employment change in recent months, following average monthly gains of
67,000 in the first quarter of the year. Employment in leisure and hospitality remains
below its February 2020 level by 352,000, or 2.1 percent.
Employment in professional and business services changed little in July (-8,000). Monthly job
growth in the industry had averaged 38,000 in the prior 12 months. Employment in temporary help
services continued to trend down over the month (-22,000) and is down by 205,000 since its peak
in March 2022. Employment in professional, scientific, and technical services continued to trend
up in July (+24,000).
Employment showed little change over the month in other major industries, including mining,
quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; manufacturing; retail trade; transportation and
warehousing; information; and government.
In July, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 14 cents,
or 0.4 percent, to $33.74. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by
4.4 percent. In July, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory
employees rose by 13 cents, or 0.5 percent, to $28.96. (See tables B-3 and B-8.)
The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls edged down by 0.1 hour
to 34.3 hours in July. In manufacturing, the average workweek remained unchanged at 40.1 hours,
and overtime was unchanged at 3.0 hours. The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory
employees on private nonfarm payrolls remained at 33.8 hours. (See tables B-2 and B-7.)
The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for May was revised down by 25,000, from +306,000
to +281,000, and the change for June was revised down by 24,000, from +209,000 to +185,000. With
these revisions, employment in May and June combined is 49,000 lower than previously reported.
(Monthly revisions result from additional reports received from businesses and government agencies
since the last published estimates and from the recalculation of seasonal factors.)
Employment Situation Summary Table A. Household data, seasonally adjusted
Employment Situation Summary Table B. Establishment data, seasonally adjusted
Employment Situation Frequently Asked Questions
Employment Situation Technical Note
Table A-1. Employment status of the civilian population by sex and age
Table A-2. Employment status of the civilian population by race, sex, and age
Table A-3. Employment status of the Hispanic or Latino population by sex and age
Table A-4. Employment status of the civilian population 25 years and over by educational attainment
Table A-7. Employment status of the civilian population by nativity and sex, not seasonally adjusted
Table A-8. Employed persons by class of worker and part-time status
Table A-9. Selected employment indicators
Table A-10. Selected unemployment indicators, seasonally adjusted
Table A-11. Unemployed persons by reason for unemployment
Table A-12. Unemployed persons by duration of unemployment
Table A-13. Employed and unemployed persons by occupation, not seasonally adjusted
Table A-14. Unemployed persons by industry and class of worker, not seasonally adjusted
Table A-15. Alternative measures of labor underutilization
Table A-16. Persons not in the labor force and multiple jobholders by sex, not seasonally adjusted
Table B-1. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry sector and selected industry detail
Table B-5. Employment of women on nonfarm payrolls by industry sector, seasonally adjusted