Private businesses in the US added 38K jobs in August 2026, the least since January, following an upwardly revised 46K in July and below forecasts of 47K, reflecting a broader slowdown in the labor market. Education and health care (45K), construction (12K), leisure and hospitality (16K) and financial activities (6K) all showed solid hiring. In contrast, manufacturing (-17K), professional services (-16K), trade, transportation and utilities (-5K), natural resources and mining (-5K) and information (-4K) shed jobs.