Category: Labor

The U.S. economy lost 23,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in July, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Aug. 7, marking the first month of net job losses in the current economic cycle while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%. The report is the single most closely watched monthly economic indicator and immediately intensifies pressure on the Federal Reserve’s interest rate calculus, opening the administration’s economic record to fresh congressional scrutiny. The private sector added 30,000 jobs during the month, but those gains were more than offset by declines in local government education and retail trade, according to BLS data. Health

Nonfarm business productivity grew 1.4 percent in the second quarter of 2026 while unit labor costs rose 1.3 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Aug. 6. In manufacturing, the picture was more favorable: productivity rose 1.9 percent while unit labor costs were essentially unchanged, a combination that helps contain inflation in the goods sector, the BLS said. Productivity growth — output per hour worked — is a key long-run driver of wage growth without inflation. Sustained improvements benefit the Federal Reserve’s inflation outlook and support arguments for continued monetary policy flexibility. The data arrive alongside the July employment report

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited a wood pulp mill in Baileyville, Maine, with violations exceeding $700,000 after a deadly gas release killed two workers, the Department of Labor announced Aug. 6. OSHA’s investigation found systemic failures to protect workers from chemical exposure hazards at the facility, the department said. The citation amount signals the agency classified the violations as serious and willful, the most severe categories in OSHA’s enforcement framework. Two worker deaths at a single facility from a preventable industrial gas release represents a significant workplace fatality incident that triggered OSHA’s full enforcement authority. The investigation examined

Nonfarm business sector labor productivity increased 1.4% in the second quarter while unit labor costs rose 1.3% over the same period, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Aug. 6. The closely watched figures provide fresh signals on whether American wage growth is being absorbed by productivity gains, a critical question for the Federal Reserve as it calibrates monetary policy. When productivity growth roughly matches labor cost increases, wage gains can flow to workers without driving inflation higher. The preliminary data suggest that the relationship between productivity and labor costs remained roughly balanced in the spring quarter. The BLS cautioned that

Initial unemployment insurance claims remained below the 200,000 threshold that signals labor market strength, the Department of Labor reported Aug. 6. Claims rose by 1,000 to 199,000 for the week ending Aug. 1. The four-week moving average, considered a more reliable indicator because it smooths out weekly volatility, declined to 198,750, reinforcing the picture of a tight labor market, according to the department’s weekly report. The sub-200,000 initial claims level is historically consistent with a robust job market where layoffs remain low and employers are retaining workers. Economists and Federal Reserve policymakers watch the weekly figure closely as the most