U.S. Small Business Workers Post 3.14% Weekly Earnings Gain as Hours Hit 0.40%
Updated
Updated · Yahoo Finance · Aug 4
U.S. Small Business Workers Post 3.14% Weekly Earnings Gain as Hours Hit 0.40%
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Finance · Aug 4
Summary
Weekly earnings growth for U.S. small business workers rose to 3.14% in July, the strongest reading since December 2023, while job growth stayed broadly steady.
Hours worked growth reached 0.40%—the highest since April 2021 and the fifth straight monthly increase—helping lift weekly pay even as hourly earnings growth remained below 3% at 2.86%.
Paychex said businesses with fewer than 50 employees are leaning on existing staff to meet demand, describing the employment backdrop as stable and resilient heading into the second half.
The small business jobs index stood at 99.23 in July, slightly above the 99.20 average for the first half, with manufacturing posting the strongest monthly, quarterly and annual job-growth gains among sectors.