Restaurant Industry Leads All Sectors in August Job Growth

Restaurants and bars added 59,000 jobs in August, the most of any industry, according to CNBC.

The U.S. economy added a seasonally adjusted 162,000 jobs in August, more than three times what economists surveyed by Dow Jones had expected. It was the strongest monthly gain since March, CNBC reported, citing Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%.

Restaurants and bars led all industries, followed by government education, which added 42,000 positions, and manufacturing, which added 16,000. Health care added just 13,000 positions, well below its 12-month average of 32,000. Information-related industries lost 23,000 jobs, a decline some economists have linked to AI adoption.

"It was encouraging to see the bounceback in hospitality as well, especially restaurants," Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, told CBS News.

The National Restaurant Association's own tracking shows a similar pattern. Eating and drinking places have added 83,500 jobs through the first eight months of 2026, with employment up nearly 182,000 compared with a year ago, according to the association's research arm.

Labor has remained a major expense for restaurant operators since the pandemic. Restaurants and bars added more jobs than any other industry in August, according to CNBC. Average hourly earnings grew 3.1% year over year, the slowest pace since May 2021.