Private sector sees second-smallest job growth since pandemic

Private businesses, nonprofits, and the like added a paltry 97,000 jobs in July. That’s the smallest gain since spring 2023 and the second-smallest gain since 2020.

Some 64,000 new jobs were created in health care and social assistance companies. Hotels and restaurants added 23,000 new jobs, and 22,000 people were hired in the trade and transportation sectors.

So-called information companies such as media outlets laid off 20,000 workers last month.

In July, government accounted for less than 15% of new hires. By comparison, in June, they accounted for a third of new hires.