Commissioner's Statement on the Employment Situation News Release — 2012-08-03

Advance copies of this statement are made available to the press under lock-up conditions with the explicit understanding that the data are embargoed until 8:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 163,000 in July, and the unemployment rate, at 8.3 percent, was essentially unchanged. Thus far in 2012, job growth has averaged 151,000 per month, about the same as the monthly average for 2011 (+153,000). In July, employment rose in professional and business services, food services and drinking places, and manufacturing. Professional and business services employment increased by 49,000 over the month. Computer systems design added 7,000 jobs, and employment in temporary help services continued to trend up (+14,000). In July, food services and drinking places added 29,000 jobs. Employment in this industry has grown by 292,000 over the past 12 months. Manufacturing employment rose by 25,000 in July.