The US had roughly 159 million people on nonfarm payrolls in August 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, after employers added 162,000 jobs that month. The unemployment rate held at 4.1%, with 7.0 million people unemployed out of a civilian labor force of about 170.7 million.
Number of Workers in America 2026 – Introduction
The Number of Workers in the United States climbed to a fresh high in August 2026, capping a year that started slowly and picked up real momentum by late summer. Nonfarm payrolls grew by 162,000 in August, the strongest single-month gain since March and well above the roughly 31,000-per-month average pace that had defined most of the prior year. That acceleration came alongside upward revisions to both June and July, meaning the labor market was quietly stronger in the summer months than the initial reports suggested.
Not every part of the workforce picture looks equally healthy, though. The labor force participation rate, at 61.6%, remains half a point below where it stood back in January, and nearly 5.7 million people who say they want a job aren’t counted among the unemployed because they haven’t searched for work recently enough to qualify under the government’s official definition. This report breaks down exactly how many people are working in America in 2026, who’s unemployed, which industries are hiring, and what’s happening to wages along the way.
NUMBER OF WORKERS IN THE US 2026 — QUICK SNAPSHOT
Total Nonfarm Payroll Employment ..... ~159.0 million
Civilian Labor Force ................. ~170.7 million
Unemployment Rate .................... 4.1%
Total Unemployed ..................... 7.0 million
Labor Force Participation Rate ....... 61.6%
Average Hourly Earnings .............. $37.75
Interesting Facts About the Number of Workers in the US 2026
| Fact | Data Point |
|---|---|
| Total Nonfarm Payroll Employment | ~159.0 million |
| August 2026 Job Gain | +162,000 |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.1% |
| Total Unemployed | 7.0 million |
| Labor Force Participation Rate | 61.6% |
| Employment-Population Ratio | 59.1% |
| Average Hourly Earnings | $37.75, up 3.1% year-over-year |
| Job Openings (June 2026) | 7.4 million |
| Unemployed Per Job Opening | 1.0 |
| People Who Want a Job But Aren’t Counted as Unemployed | 5.7 million |
The Number of Workers data for August 2026 reflects a labor market that spent much of the year looking soft before rebounding sharply. Nonfarm payrolls added just 21,000 jobs in July and 31,000 in June after revisions, well below the pace needed to keep up with population growth, before August’s 162,000 gain beat every economist’s forecast by a wide margin. That kind of month-to-month volatility has made the labor market difficult to read in real time, with revisions frequently changing the picture after the fact.
The job market’s underlying balance has also shifted noticeably from its pandemic-recovery peak. There’s now exactly one unemployed person for every job opening nationwide, a ratio that has held steady at 1.0 to 1.1 since February 2025, down from the dramatically worker-favorable ratios of 2021 and 2022 when openings vastly outnumbered job seekers. That shift means workers have less leverage to demand higher pay or better conditions than they did just a few years ago, even though outright layoffs remain historically low.
Number of Workers in the US 2026: Total Employment Levels
TOTAL NONFARM PAYROLL EMPLOYMENT (RECENT TREND, MILLIONS)
Aug 2022 |################################### 152.7M
Aug 2023 |######################################### 156.4M
Jan 2026 |############################################## 158.63M
Aug 2026 |############################################### 159.0M
| Period | Total Nonfarm Employment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| August 2022 | 152.7 million | 240K above pre-pandemic Feb. 2020 level |
| August 2023 | 156.4 million | +187K that month |
| January 2026 | 158.63 million | +130K that month |
| February 2026 | 158.47 million | -92K that month |
| August 2026 | ~159.0 million | +162K that month |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics (Establishment Survey)
Total nonfarm payroll employment has grown by roughly 6.3 million jobs since August 2022, though that growth hasn’t been smooth. Early 2026 actually saw a rare monthly decline, with payrolls dropping 92,000 in February after a strong 130,000 gain in January, illustrating just how choppy month-to-month hiring has become compared to the more consistent gains of 2022 and 2023. Private education and health services, and to a lesser extent leisure and hospitality, have been the most reliable sources of job growth through this stretch, while sectors like information and federal government have periodically lost jobs.
August’s 162,000 gain pushed total nonfarm employment to approximately 159.0 million, and revisions to the two preceding months added a combined 55,000 jobs to what had initially looked like a much weaker summer. That pattern, where initial reports understate job growth before later revisions catch up, has repeated often enough in 2026 that many economists now treat the first release of any given month’s jobs number with real caution until at least one round of revisions comes through.
Labor Force Participation Rate 2026
LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATE 2026 (MONTHLY)
Jan 2026 |################################### 62.5%
May 2026 |################################## 61.8%
Jul 2026 |################################# 61.4%
Aug 2026 |################################## 61.6%
| Month | Labor Force Participation Rate | Employment-Population Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 62.5% | — |
| May 2026 | 61.8% | — |
| July 2026 | 61.4% | — |
| August 2026 | 61.6% | 59.1% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey (Household Survey)
The labor force participation rate, which measures the share of the working-age population either employed or actively looking for work, has drifted downward through most of 2026, falling from 62.5% in January to as low as 61.4% by July before ticking back up to 61.6% in August. That half-point decline over the year means fewer Americans are either working or actively job-hunting relative to the total population than at the start of the year, even as the headline unemployment rate has stayed remarkably stable.
The employment-population ratio, a related but distinct measure that captures the share of the population actually employed regardless of whether non-workers are searching for jobs, held at 59.1% in August, changing little over the month. Together, these two measures paint a picture of a labor market where the pool of people actively engaged with work, either holding a job or looking for one, has shrunk slightly over the year, a trend worth watching since a shrinking labor force can eventually constrain how fast the broader economy can grow.
Unemployment Rate 2026: By Demographic Group
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE BY GROUP, AUGUST 2026
Adult Women |#### 3.5%
White |#### 3.7%
Adult Men |##### 4.0%
Hispanic |###### 4.8%
Black |######## 6.0%
Teenagers |############### 14.1%| Group | August 2026 Unemployment Rate |
|---|---|
| Adult Women | 3.5% |
| White | 3.7% |
| Adult Men | 4.0% |
| Hispanic | 4.8% |
| Black | 6.0% |
| Teenagers | 14.1% |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Employment Situation — August 2026
The overall 4.1% unemployment rate hides substantial variation across demographic groups, a pattern that has held consistently for years even as the overall rate moves up or down. Adult women posted the lowest unemployment rate among major groups at 3.5%, narrowly below adult men at 4.0% and White workers at 3.7%. Black workers faced an unemployment rate of 6.0%, and Hispanic workers 4.8%, both notably higher than the White and overall national rates, continuing a persistent gap that shows up in nearly every monthly jobs report regardless of the broader economic cycle.
Teenagers, as is typical, posted by far the highest unemployment rate of any group at 14.1%, reflecting both the entry-level nature of most teen jobs and higher turnover in that segment of the workforce. None of these group-level rates moved dramatically in August, with the BLS specifically noting that jobless rates for adult men, adult women, White, Black, and Hispanic workers all “showed little change” over the month, suggesting the demographic pattern of unemployment has settled into a relatively stable configuration for now.
Job Growth by Sector 2026
AUGUST 2026 JOB GAINS BY SECTOR
Food Services/Drinking Places |############### +59,000
Local Government Education |########### +42,000
Construction |###### +22,000
Manufacturing |#### +16,000
Information |## -23,000 (loss)
| Sector | August 2026 Change |
|---|---|
| Food Services and Drinking Places | +59,000 |
| Local Government Education | +42,000 |
| Construction | +22,000 |
| Manufacturing | +16,000 |
| Information | -23,000 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics (Establishment Survey)
Food services and drinking places led all sectors in August, adding 59,000 jobs, nearly five times the industry’s average monthly gain of 12,000 over the prior year. Local government education added 42,000 jobs, largely reversing a decline from the prior month, while manufacturing continued a slow but steady upward trend, adding 16,000 jobs and pushing total manufacturing employment up 58,000 since a recent low in December 2025. Health coverage costs remain a major consideration for employers making hiring decisions in labor-intensive sectors like these; the ACA Affordable Care Act Statistics in US report shows how rising premiums following the expiration of enhanced marketplace subsidies are adding pressure to employer-sponsored coverage costs across exactly these kinds of service industries.
The information sector was the clearest loser in August, shedding 23,000 jobs as computing infrastructure providers, data processing and web hosting firms, publishing companies, and broadcasters all trimmed staff. That decline continues a pattern that has shown up repeatedly through 2026, as parts of the technology and media sector have gone through repeated rounds of job cuts even while the broader economy kept adding jobs elsewhere, illustrating how uneven the current job growth really is beneath the reassuring headline number.
Job Openings and the Labor Market 2026
JOB OPENINGS VS UNEMPLOYED PEOPLE, JUNE 2026
Job Openings |#################### 7.4 million
Unemployed People |#################### 7.1 million
| Metric | June 2026 Figure | Ratio |
|---|---|---|
| Job Openings | 7.4 million | 1.0 unemployed per opening |
| Unemployed People | 7.1 million | — |
| Hires | 5.3 million | — |
| Total Separations | 5.3 million | — |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS)
The ratio of unemployed workers to job openings sat at exactly 1.0 in June 2026, meaning there was almost precisely one job seeker available for every open position nationwide. That ratio has held steady at 1.0 or 1.1 every month since February 2025, a period of remarkable stability compared to the wild swings of the pandemic years, when the ratio dropped well below 1.0 during the height of the “great resignation” hiring boom and later climbed back up as the labor market cooled.
Job openings themselves have shown some industry-specific volatility even as the overall level holds relatively steady, with transportation, warehousing, and utilities adding openings in recent months while wholesale trade and manufacturing have pulled back. It’s also worth noting that JOLTS and unemployment data for October 2025 were not collected at all due to a federal government shutdown that month, a gap that briefly complicated month-to-month comparisons across the labor market data series that economists and policymakers rely on to track hiring trends in near real time.
Wages and Earnings 2026
AVERAGE HOURLY EARNINGS TREND 2026
May 2026 |##################################### $37.53
Aug 2026 |###################################### $37.75
| Metric | May 2026 | August 2026 | Year-over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Hourly Earnings (All Employees) | $37.53 | $37.75 | +3.1% |
| Average Weekly Hours | — | 34.4 hours | +0.1 hour |
| Production/Nonsupervisory Earnings | — | $32.53 | +0.3% (monthly) |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics (Establishment Survey)
Average hourly earnings for all private nonfarm employees climbed to $37.75 in August, up 10 cents on the month and 3.1% over the past year, a pace of wage growth that has comfortably outrun inflation for most of 2026. That kind of sustained real wage growth directly shapes overall household finances; the Average Household Income in US report shows how these individual earnings gains translate into the broader household income picture once multiple earners, benefits, and non-wage income sources are factored in together.
The average workweek also edged up slightly to 34.4 hours in August, a modest but meaningful signal since employers typically extend hours for existing staff before committing to new hires, and rising average hours alongside rising headcount suggests genuine underlying demand for labor rather than just a one-month statistical blip. Real, inflation-adjusted average hourly earnings actually dipped slightly in August as consumer prices rose 0.4% against wage growth of 0.3%, a reminder that nominal wage gains don’t automatically translate into equivalent gains in purchasing power every single month.
Underemployment and Workers Outside the Labor Force 2026
WORKERS OUTSIDE THE OFFICIAL UNEMPLOYMENT COUNT, AUGUST 2026
Part-Time for Economic Reasons |########## 4.4 million
Want a Job, Not Counted as Unemployed |############# 5.7 million
Marginally Attached to Labor Force |#### 1.7 million
Discouraged Workers |# 441,000
| Category | August 2026 Figure |
|---|---|
| Part-Time for Economic Reasons | 4.4 million |
| Want a Job, Not in Labor Force | 5.7 million |
| Marginally Attached to Labor Force | 1.7 million |
| Discouraged Workers | 441,000 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Employment Situation — August 2026
The official 4.1% unemployment rate only tells part of the story, since it excludes millions of people the government considers economically underutilized for other reasons. Part-time workers who want full-time hours but can’t find them, a group economists call “part-time for economic reasons,” numbered 4.4 million in August, though that figure actually fell by a substantial 414,000 during the month, one of the more encouraging underemployment signals in the entire report.
A larger, more persistent gap sits with the 5.7 million people who say they want a job but aren’t counted as unemployed because they haven’t searched for work in the past four weeks or aren’t currently available to start. Within that group, 1.7 million are considered “marginally attached” to the labor force, having looked for work sometime in the past year, and 441,000 of those qualify as “discouraged workers” who’ve stopped looking specifically because they believe no jobs are available to them. That population sits in a difficult spot; families relying on a single, underemployed earner face real financial strain, a pressure the Child Poverty Statistics in US report connects directly to household income instability and the broader safety net gaps facing families with inconsistent work hours.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Number of Workers in the US
How many people are employed in the US in 2026?
Total nonfarm payroll employment stood at approximately 159.0 million in August 2026, the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data available, after employers added 162,000 jobs that month.
What is the current US unemployment rate?
The US unemployment rate was 4.1% in August 2026, with 7.0 million people counted as unemployed.
How big is the US labor force?
The civilian labor force totaled approximately 170.7 million people in August 2026, combining both the employed and unemployed populations actively participating in the job market.
What is the labor force participation rate in 2026?
The labor force participation rate was 61.6% in August 2026, down half a percentage point from 62.5% in January.
Which industries added the most jobs in August 2026?
Food services and drinking places led job growth in August 2026, adding 59,000 jobs, followed by local government education with 42,000 and construction with 22,000.
How many job openings are there in the US?
There were 7.4 million job openings as of June 2026, yielding a ratio of exactly 1.0 unemployed person per job opening.
What are average wages in the US in 2026?
Average hourly earnings for all private nonfarm employees reached $37.75 in August 2026, up 3.1% from a year earlier.
How many Americans want a job but aren’t counted as unemployed?
5.7 million Americans said they wanted a job in August 2026 but weren’t counted as officially unemployed because they hadn’t searched for work in the prior four weeks.
Why wasn’t labor market data collected in October 2025?
Unemployment and job openings data were not collected in October 2025 due to a federal government shutdown that month, temporarily disrupting the usual monthly data series.
What is the unemployment rate for Black and Hispanic workers?
The unemployment rate was 6.0% for Black workers and 4.8% for Hispanic workers in August 2026, both higher than the 3.7% rate for White workers.
Is the US job market getting stronger or weaker in 2026?
The picture is mixed. Job growth was weak through much of the first half of 2026, averaging around 31,000 jobs per month, before accelerating sharply to 162,000 in August, while the labor force participation rate has trended slightly downward over the same period.
Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.