Commissioner's Statement on the Employment Situation News Release — 2020-09-04

Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 1.4 million in August, and the unemployment rate declined by 1.8 percentage points to 8.4 percent. These improvements reflect the continued resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain it. In August, employment rose in several major industry sectors. A gain in government largely reflected the hiring of temporary workers for the 2020 Census. Notable job gains also occurred in retail trade, in professional and business services, in leisure and hospitality, and in education and health services. The August payroll employment increase of 1.4 million followed gains of 1.7 million in July, 4.8 million in June, and 2.7 million in May. As of August, total nonfarm employment is 11.5 million, or 7.6 percent, lower than in February, before the pandemic crisis unfolded in many parts of the United States.