The number of permanent job losers changed little at 1.7 million. Both the labor force participation rate, at 61.4 percent, and the employment-population ratio, at 58.9 percent, changed little in July. The decline in the workforce numbers acts to lower the unemployment rate by lowering the denominator. In July, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees, at $32.40, were little changed (+4 cents). The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged at 34.3 hours in July.