August job numbers far exceed economists' expectations

NPR | By Scott Horsley,

Steve Inskeep

Published September 4, 2026 at 3:00 AM CDT

Employers added 162,000 jobs in August, according to the Labor Department on Friday. Economists had expected the labor market to add about 53,000 jobs.

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Morning Edition

Scott Horsley

Scott Horsley is NPR's Chief Economics Correspondent.

See stories by Scott Horsley

Steve Inskeep

Steve Inskeep is a host of NPR's Morning Edition and Up First.

See stories by Steve Inskeep

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