Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta said Friday’s employment numbers for August showed “continued economic strength and optimism” in the nation, even though they fell short of expectations.
The August unemployment rate was 4.4 percent, up one-tenth of a percent in a month despite the addition of 156,000 non-farm jobs.
Acosta argued the overall picture was positive and noted that 1.2 million jobs have been added to the economy since January. “Multiple economic sectors showed job growth in August, including 36,000 manufacturing, 28,000 construction, and 6,000 mining and logging jobs. The breadth of job gains across manufacturing sub-industries is at a 20-year high; more than 70 percent of manufacturing sub-industries added jobs in August. These family-sustaining jobs are the foundation of the American Dream,” Acosta said.
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