PAGE HEADER THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.3% in August 2025, and the number of unemployed people was 7.38 million—up from 4.2% and 7.1 million a year earlier.
Household Survey Data
Among the major worker groups, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rates from August 2024 to August 2025 grew slightly. For adult men, unemployment increased from 3.9% to 4.1%; among adult women, it rose from 3.7% to 3.8%; and for teenagers, it fell from 14.2% to 13.9%. Categorized by racial and ethnic groups, unemployment went from 4.0% to 3.7% among Whites; jumped from 6.5% to 7.5% among Blacks; dropped from 4.3% to 3.6% among Asians; and sank from 5.4% to 5.3% among Hispanics.
Among the unemployed, the number of permanent job losers climbed from 1.7 million to 1.9 million. The seasonally adjusted number of people on temporary layoff rose from 867,000 to 886,000 over the year.
In the 12 months ending August 2025, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) gained by 385,000 over the year to 1.9 million. In August, the long-term unemployed accounted for 25.7% of all unemployed people.
Both the labor force participation rate, at 62.3%, and the employment-population ratio, at 59.6%, showed a slight drop of 0.4% over the year. The number of people employed part time for economic reasons was 4.75 million, down from 4.82 million a year earlier. These individuals were working part time because their hours had been reduced or they were unable to find full-time jobs.
The number of people not in the labor force who currently want a job, at 6.4 million, was up from 5.7 million in August 2025 but similar to August 2024 numbers. These individuals were not counted as unemployed because they were not actively looking for work during the 4 weeks preceding the survey or were unavailable to take a job.
Establishment Survey Data
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics surveys employers for its monthly establishment survey, which measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry.
Payroll employment was 159.5 million in August 2025, up from 158.1 million in August 2024. In the 12 months ending August 2025, seasonally adjusted employment:
• At food and beverage retailers rose by 0.8% to 3.25 million.
• At warehouse clubs, supercenters, and other general merchandise retailers was 2.3 million, a jump of 2.7%.
• In food manufacturing stayed about the same with a 0.1% increase to 1.8 million.
• In food service grew by 1.0% to 12.4 million. • In truck transportation increased slightly by 0.4% to 1.5 million. • In warehousing and storage shrank 1.4% to 1.8 million.
In August 2025, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls was $36.53, a 3.7% increase over the prior 12 months. Average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees were $31.46, up from $30.27 12 months earlier.
The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls was 34.2 hours, a slight change from 34.3 hours in August 2024. In manufacturing, the average workweek was unchanged at 40.0 hours. The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls remained 33.7 hours.
Sources
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “The Employment Situation— August 2025, USDL-25-1344,” September 5, 2025.
WHAT’S IN STORE | 2026 © 2026 International Dairy Deli Bakery Association
Industry Landscape
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