WASHINGTON, DC—The US economy added 209,000 jobs in July, leaving the unemployment rate unchanged at 6.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This report follows the Commerce Department's release this week that GPD posted a 4% increase in the second quarter, validating economists that maintained the first quarter's dismal performance was largely due to the weather.
Professional services and manufacturing led the way in job creation for the month.
Professional and business services added 47,000 jobs in July for a total of 648,000 jobs added over the past 12 months. The gain in July included 9,000 jobs in architectural and engineering services.
Manufacturing added 28,000 jobs in July, also exceeding the prior 12-month average of 12,000 jobs per month.
Another strong category for July was retail trade, which saw employment rise by 27,000 for the month. Over the past year, retail trade has added 298,000 jobs.
The construction sector added 22,000 jobs in July. Within the industry, employment continued to trend up in residential building and in residential specialty trade contractors. Over the year, construction has added 211,000 jobs.
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