The U.S. economy added 162,000 jobs in August, the White House said in a release published September 4, 2026, which described the figure as “nearly triple economists’ expectations (again)” and as the second-largest monthly gain of President Trump’s second term.
The release did not name the statistical agency or report underlying the figures, and did not state a total employment level, an overall unemployment rate, or revisions to prior months.
Sector figures cited
According to the release, manufacturers added 16,000 jobs in August, which it called the strongest monthly gain in three years, and 58,000 jobs so far this year. The White House attributed the increase to “huge demand for pharmaceutical and defense production, data center construction, and semiconductor plants.”
Construction added 22,000 jobs during the month, the release said, with factory construction employment up “nearly 100,000” over the course of the president’s second term.
The release also said more than one million private-sector jobs have been created in the second term, and that federal employment “remains at its lowest share of the workforce on record.”
Labor force and earnings
Labor force participation “increased at its strongest level in almost a year” in August, the release said. Labor force participation measures the share of the working-age population either employed or actively looking for work.
The release put unemployment among college graduates at 2.7% and said Black unemployment “posted its second monthly decline.” It did not give a figure for the latter.
Average weekly earnings for private-sector workers rose during the month and were up 3.7% over the year, according to the release. The document did not specify whether that figure is adjusted for inflation.
A discrepancy within the release
The release leads with a gain of 162,000 jobs but also quotes economist E.J. Antoni saying that “payrolls jumped 217k” and that “the number of folks employed roared higher by 569k and those not in the labor force dipped more than half a million.” The document does not explain the difference between the two payroll figures.
Attributed comment
White House spokesman Kush Desai said in the release: “America is in the middle of a historic investment boom, and the August jobs report is the latest data point showing how Americans are benefitting from the Trump administration’s pro-growth policies. The best is yet to come with even more job, wage, and economic growth in store for everyday Americans.”
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett was quoted saying: “It’s a really blockbuster number\u2026 Tariffs are making people onshore activity; the expensing is making people want to invest like crazy, and that’s creating construction jobs and also beginning to show up in factory jobs.”
Council of Economic Advisers Chair Chris Phelan was quoted saying: “The manufacturing boom \u2014 the non-residential construction boom \u2014 is real, and it’s showing up in the data. It’s showing up in the data for capital expenditures. It’s showing up in the jobs data.”
The release also compiled reaction from outside economists and journalists. Fitch Ratings head of U.S. economics Olu Sonola was quoted saying, “This is an unequivocally strong report\u2026” Fwdbonds chief economist Chris Rupkey was quoted saying, “Net, net, the labor market is alive and well and generating thousands of new jobs to help keep economic growth squarely in the plus column.”
Economist Mohamed A. El-Erian was quoted saying the report “came in significantly stronger than expected across both sides of the labor market: demand and supply\u2026 Together, these indicators point to a US labor market that remains robust with firm demand and is stabilization on the supply side.”
CNN senior reporter Matt Egan was quoted saying the 162,000 figure “more than doubled the consensus forecast\u2026 In fact, this most jobs that the economy has added in a month since March.” The release did not identify the consensus forecast figure it referenced.
Source: White House, “Made in America: Manufacturing, Private Hiring Power Explosive August Jobs Report,” released September 4, 2026. The release is an administration communication rather than a statistical publication; it does not identify the underlying data source, state seasonal adjustment or sampling methodology, or provide margins of error, and it contains two different figures for August payroll growth.