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Both nonfarm payroll employment (-23,000) and the unemployment rate (4.1 percent) changed little in July, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment declined in local government education and retail trade. Employment continued to trend up in health care. This news release presents statistics from two monthly surveys. The household survey measures labor force status, including unemployment, by demographic characteristics. The establishment survey measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry. For more information about the concepts and statistical methodology used in these two surveys, see the Technical Note.

Initial jobless claims unexpectedly jumped to a nine-month high last week, an indication that severe winter weather could be putting a temporary freeze on the labor market's recovery. About 320,000 people filed for first-time unemployment benefits last week, up 7,000 from the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday. Economists had been expecting claims to fall to 300,000. Claims below that level indicate a strong labor market. Private sector added 212,000 jobs last month, down from January, ADP says Private sector added 212,000 jobs last month, down from January, ADP says In another read on the jobs market, planned layoffs...