US employers add 255K jobs in July

Though the U.S. unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.9 percent in July, employers across the country added 255,000 jobs last month, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

The nonfarm payroll employment increase was largely attributable to professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, government, health care and financial activities, according to a news release.

Professional and business services employers added 70,000 jobs in July, led by 37,000 in professional and technical services.

In the leisure and hospitality industry, employment rose by 45,000 positions. Within the sector, food services and drinking places added 21,000 jobs, according to the release.

Health care employers increased payroll ranks by 43,000, led by ambulatory health care services, at 19,000, and hospitals, at 17,000.

In government, employment moved up by 38,000 positions, and financial activities increased by 18,000 jobs, according to the release.

Partially offsetting the increases was a 6,000-job drop in the mining industry.

As of July 31, the number of unemployed people was 7.8 million, unchanged from the prior month, according to the release.

In June, Missouri’s unemployment rate moved up to 4.9 percent from 4 percent in May, and the Springfield metropolitan statistical area’s jobless rate increased by a full point to 4.4 percent, according to the latest BLS data.