Monthly job creation turned negative in July for the second time in 2026, marking the second consecutive month that U.S. hiring has widely missed forecasts. Economist surveys from The Wall Street Journal and Reuters had each forecast around 80,000 job additions. Friday’s jobs report included hefty downward revisions to prior month estimates, with job gains in June lowered from 57,000 to 20,000. The unemployment rate eased to 4.1% in July, the BLS reported Friday, from 4.2% in June and 4.3% over the preceding three months. “Even so, the recent trends make clear that the labor market has lost some of its recent momentum,” the First American economist noted.