Overview

• The employed population reached 28.97 million, up 166,000 year on year, marking an eighth straight month of gains but the smallest monthly increase since May’s peak.
• Manufacturing lost 61,000 jobs for a 14th consecutive monthly decline and construction shed 132,000 for a 16th, while agriculture, forestry and fisheries fell by 138,000.
• Job growth was concentrated among older adults with those 60 and over adding 401,000 positions, while employment dropped by 195,000 among people in their 20s.
• The youth employment rate fell 1.6 percentage points to 45.1 percent, extending its year-on-year decline to a 16th month, as employers favor experienced hires and ad-hoc recruiting.
• Economic inactivity widened with the number reporting they were ‘resting’ up 73,000 to 2.64 million, including a record 328,000 in their 30s, and 409,000 saying they had given up job hunting.