U.S. employers added 162,000 jobs in August, beating the average monthly gain of 31,000 over the previous year, while the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Job growth was led by restaurants and bars, which added 59,000 jobs, and local government education, which added 42,000. Manufacturing also continued to grow, adding 16,000 jobs, while healthcare added 13,000.
The information sector lost 23,000 jobs, with cuts across data processing, web hosting, publishing and broadcasting.
Average hourly earnings rose 0.3% to $37.75, bringing annual wage growth to 3.1%. The average workweek also edged up to 34.4 hours.
The labor force participation rate increased slightly to 61.6%, although it remains 0.5 percentage point below its January level.
Previous figures were also revised higher. June payroll growth was revised from 20,000 to 31,000, while July was revised from a 23,000-job decline to a 21,000-job increase. Combined, the two months were 55,000 jobs stronger than previously reported.
Overall, the August report points to a stronger U.S. labor market, with job growth picking up while unemployment and wage growth remained relatively stable.
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