The latest From the BLS Employment Report: The Labor Department released its August jobs report on Friday morning, providing the most updated snapshot of the American economy. The August jobs report showed an increase in total nonfarm employment by 156,000 jobs, while the unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 4.4 percent from 4.3 percent, and is expected to drop further in the coming months. The largest employment increases in August occurred in manufacturing, construction, professional and technical services, health care and mining. The number of open positions is at an all-time high, but businesses are struggling to hire qualified workers.