The July jobs report is 'unambiguously positive'

Penn Station coffee shop
(Image credit: KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)

The U.S. economy added over 900,000 jobs in July, exceeding expectations and making for the strongest report since last summer.

The Labor Department reported Friday that nonfarm payrolls rose by 943,000 in July, as the unemployment rate fell to 5.4 percent, CNBC reports. This was higher than the roughly 845,000 new jobs that had been predicted by economists, who also forecast an unemployment rate of 5.7 percent. It was also the biggest gain in jobs since August 2020, according to CNN.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.