There was a surprise fall in US jobs last month as employment declined during the summer in local government education and retail, according to official figures. Analysts had predicted an uptick in the number of jobs created in the world’s largest economy in July, but the number of roles fell by 23,000 over the month. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also revised down the number of jobs added in May and June by 103,000, signalling a slow summer of job creation. Analysts had expected an uptick in the number of jobs being added to the economy last month of 80,000, as opposed to a loss of 23,000. “Labour force participation is back at levels not seen since the days of Covid, meaning jobs just aren’t being created,” he said.