Nowflation › Release calendar › August 2026 jobs report

August 2026 jobs report: +162K — Graded

Countdown

Released by BLS (the release date is not on the calendar). Graded below.

What to watch

  • Prior: payrolls +21K in July 2026.
  • Unemployment rate: 4.1% in July 2026.
  • Nowflation: no payrolls call. Watch average hourly earnings against the Gauge: real wages are the inflation story in this report.

The Nowflation call

Nowflation makes no Jobs report call. Watch average hourly earnings against the Gauge: real wages are the inflation story in this report.

Competing forecasts

ForecasterCallMiss
Prior month (naive)+21K−141K

Grading

August 2026 payrolls +162K, unemployment 4.1% (prior +21K). Source: BLS, from series PAYEMS (monthly change) and UNRATE.

Related: Jobs and wages · Real wages · Series PAYEMS · Release calendar