U.S. employers added 162,000 jobs in August, while estimates for June and July were revised up by a combined 55,000 and unemployment held at 4.1%, offering some support for the idea of a seasonal September hiring rebound. LinkedIn’s 2025 Economic Graph analysis found U.S. job postings rose from 3% below March levels in August to 14% above them in September and 11% above them in October. Applications, however, generally peak between January and May and then decline, potentially leaving less competition for people who continue searching later in the year. Indeed data also show a Labor Day-related increase as employers prepare for the fourth quarter and holiday season, although the bump is usually modest. Hiring patterns vary by field, with accounting postings rising roughly 21% from July to August last year and professional-services firms often recruiting in September and October for starts the following summer. The broader labor market remains difficult: hiring is more than 20% below its pre-pandemic level, there were 7.3 million job openings in July versus about 7.1 million a year earlier, and employers are taking longer to make offers. The labor force participation rate rose to 61.6% in August from 61.4% in July but remained 0.5 percentage point below January’s level.