BLS Revises Down US Employment Growth by 79,000 Jobs

The Bureau of Labor Statistics has revised down US employment growth by 79,000 jobs in its preliminary benchmark revision. The revision, released on August 28, 2026, showed that total nonfarm payroll employment for the year ending March 2026 was overstated.

The correction is a 0.1% downward revision and marks the smallest since 2021. Private employment took an even bigger hit, revised down by 178,000 jobs, also 0.1%. The sector breakdown reveals that retail and manufacturing were the primary drags on job growth, while construction and transportation held up better than initially reported.

Economists had expected a much larger upward revision of around 183,000 jobs, but the BLS delivered a downward revision instead. This is a significant swing of roughly 262,000 jobs relative to consensus expectations.