In August, nonfarm payrolls rose by 187,000, above industry expectations. The U.S. has now added jobs for 32 consecutive months. The unemployment rate rose from 3.6% in July to 3.8% in August, which is historically low. Of those who are unemployed, a majority have been unemployed for less than 5 weeks. Since 1948, the unemployment rate has averaged 5.7%.
Average nonfarm hourly wages in August 2023 were $33.82, an increase of 4.3% from August 2022. Within the Trade, Transportation, and Utilities subcategory, average hourly wages in August were $29.37, up 4.9% year-over-year.
Additional employment and wage data are available from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Both NPGA and PERC have a variety of workforce tools to make attracting and retaining employees easier. One such tool from NPGA is our Registered Apprenticeship Program.
For more information, contact NPGA’s Senior Manager of State Association Relations, Eric Sears.
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