The U.S. economy added 1.8 million jobs during the month of July, sending the unemployment rate down for the third straight month — a drop that fell in line with economist predictions and pointed to the recovery that began before infections started ticking up.
The unemployment rate fell to 10.2 percent.
In a nutshell:
- Leisure and hospitality increased by 592,000 jobs.
- Restaurants, bars and other food and drink services rose by 502,000.
- Amusements, gambling, and recreation added 100,000.
- Government agencies hired 300,000, including 215,000 working in education at the local level.
- Employment still below pre-pandemic levels.
- 20 million jobs lost during the pandemic.
- Fewer than half of the jobs lost in April have recovered in May, June, and July.
- More than 30 million people are currently receiving some form of unemployment insurance.
U.S. Non-Farm Jobs: