U.S. July Payrolls Seen Rising 97,500 as Unemployment Holds at 4.2%
Updated
Updated · CNN · Aug 6
U.S. July Payrolls Seen Rising 97,500 as Unemployment Holds at 4.2%
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Aug 6
Summary
97,500 jobs are expected to have been added in July, up from June’s 57,000, with Friday’s report likely showing a labor market that is stable but still short on momentum.
Healthcare and social assistance are expected to drive most of the gains as employers broadly stick to a “low-hire, low-fire” approach shaped by cost pressures, automation and uncertainty over consumer demand.
44,000 private-sector jobs in ADP’s July estimate and weaker teen hiring point to sluggish opportunities outside a few sectors, even as economists say that softness reflects structural shifts more than a recession signal.
199,000 initial jobless claims in the latest week, the lowest four-week average since 2022, plus a two-year low in announced layoffs support the view that hiring remains muted but layoffs are still scarce.