--- title: "US job growth slows as long-term unemployment rises" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/business/us-job-growth-slows-as-long-term-unemployment-rises" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-job-growth-slows-as-long-term-unemployment-rises" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/business/us-job-growth-slows-as-long-term-unemployment-rises.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/us-job-growth-slows-as-long-term-unemployment-rises" category: "Business & Economy" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-07T07:05:58.294Z" source_reported: "2026-08-07T04:02:35.000Z" updated: "2026-08-07T09:30:35.796Z" trust_score: 74 critic_score: 58 hype_score: 22 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-07T10:30:49.934096+00:00" --- # US job growth slows as long-term unemployment rises *July figures expected to show 98,000 new jobs, with 27.5% of unemployed out of work for six months or more* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 74 of 100, higher is better. Two full reports and 15 digests corroborate the story. - Craft 58 of 100, higher is better. Reports lack diverse perspectives and quotes. - Hype 22 of 100, lower is better. Headlines are mostly factual and subdued. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Economists expect the US to have added 98,000 jobs in July, an improvement on June’s 57,000 but still below the break-even rate needed to keep unemployment stable. - The unemployment rate is forecast to remain at 4.2%, the lowest in a year, but long-term unemployment rose to 27.5% in May, the highest since late 2021. - Job security is high for those employed, but new entrants and the unemployed face greater difficulty finding work, a trend economists call 'no hire, no fire'. - The Labor Department will release July’s official employment figures on Friday. Economists surveyed by FactSet expect the US economy to have added 98,000 jobs in July, according to reports published on 7 August 2026. This would mark an improvement on June’s figure of 57,000 but remain below the monthly average of 92,000 recorded so far in 2026. The unemployment rate is forecast to hold at 4.2%, matching June’s level, which was the lowest in a year. While layoffs remain low by historical standards, long-term unemployment has risen. In May, 27.5% of unemployed Americans had been out of work for six months or more, the highest share since late 2021. Economists have described the current labour market as 'no hire, no fire', reflecting stable employment for those with jobs but difficulty for new entrants and the unemployed. The Labor Department will release July’s official employment figures on Friday. The reports note that hiring needs have fallen due to demographic shifts, including an ageing workforce and reduced immigration, which have shrunk the pool of available workers. ## What the coverage left out No right-rated outlet ran this story. None of the centre-rated digests mentioned the 7% wage increase for job-changers reported by ADP, a figure carried in the left-rated full reports. ## Who covered it Shares of the 22 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 55% (12) - Centre: 40% (9) - Right: 5% (1) 2 of 24 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-07T10:30:49.934096+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 15 times; 1 check found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-07T10:45:28.849Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The nine left-rated digests and two full reports led on the mixed signals in the job market. The Associated Press and The Seattle Times, whose full reports are printed below, both highlighted the contrast between low layoffs and rising long-term unemployment. The AP report quoted Sal Guatieri of BMO Capital Markets on labour shortages and rising productivity reducing the need for new hires. - The reports also carried the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s finding that job opportunities have shrunk for younger workers and those with less education. The AP’s headline described the market as 'still tough for young and unemployed', a phrase repeated in seven of the nine left-rated digests. ### Centre - The six centre-rated digests focused on the expected stability of the unemployment rate and the modest improvement in job growth. WTVB’s digest, sourced from Reuters, led on the Federal Reserve’s ability to maintain its focus on inflation if the labour market remained resilient. - WPLG, whose full report is printed below, carried the same Associated Press text as the left-rated outlets, including the detail that 27.5% of the unemployed had been out of work for six months or more. The centre-rated digests did not quote the 'no hire, no fire' term or the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s findings on shrinking opportunities for younger workers. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - high: 13 - unknown: 2 - veryHigh: 9 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/us/money/us-jobs-market-unemployment-guatieri-b3029153.html) — No jobs for the next generation: Young workers struggle in Trump’s cooling economy - [My Mother Lode](https://mymotherlode.com/news/national/11049996/us-likely-added-nearly-100000-jobs-in-july-but-market-is-still-tough-for-young-and-unemployed.html) — US likely added nearly 100,000 jobs in July, but market is still tough for young and unemployed - [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/world/united-states/us-likely-added-nearly-100000-jobs-in-july-but-market-is-still-tough-for-young-and-unemployed/article_5060faa3-0ccf-5627-9925-6e6e36456fbd.html) — US likely added nearly 100,000 jobs in July, but market is still tough for young and unemployed - [WTVB](https://wtvbam.com/2026/08/07/us-job-growth-likely-picked-up-in-july-unemployment-rate-forecast-unchanged-at-4-2) — US job growth likely picked up in July; unemployment rate forecast unchanged at 4.2% - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/business/us-likely-added-nearly-100000-jobs-in-july-but-market-is-still-tough-for-young-and-unemployed) — U.S. likely added nearly 100,000 jobs in July, but market is tricky - [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/economy-jobs-trump-unemployment-rate-jobseekers-9c2d147c14bc428458be5a1e83e54957) — US likely added nearly 100,000 jobs in July, but market is still tough for young and unemployed - [Ottumwa Courier](https://ottumwacourier.com/news/national_news/us-likely-added-nearly-100-000-jobs-in-july-but-market-is-still-tough-for/article_11eeace0-0a8d-541d-a05c-98d0b1e797c6.html) — US likely added nearly 100,000 jobs in July, but market is still tough for young and unemployed - [Oskaloosa Herald](https://oskaloosa.com/news/national_news/us-likely-added-nearly-100-000-jobs-in-july-but-market-is-still-tough-for/article_7451e079-c268-5db1-b51b-af07f6aef82e.html) — US likely added nearly 100,000 jobs in July, but market is still tough for young and unemployed - [The Daily Advance](https://dailyadvance.com/news/national/us-likely-added-nearly-100-000-jobs-in-july-but-market-is-still-tough-for/article_fa12c851-fda3-5e74-8482-3369da9f996c.html) — US likely added nearly 100,000 jobs in July, but market is still tough for young and unemployed - [Yakima Herald-Republic](https://yakimaherald.com/news/nation_and_world/nation/us-likely-added-nearly-100-000-jobs-in-july-but-market-is-still-tough-for/article_2f6eb161-62b7-545c-a512-ff73815f60ce.html) — US likely added nearly 100,000 jobs in July, but market is still tough for young and unemployed - [goSkagit](https://goskagit.com/news/ap_business/us-likely-added-nearly-100-000-jobs-in-july-but-market-is-still-tough-for/article_0e3b470f-8a7e-545a-b9aa-8400ffdda9d0.html) — US likely added nearly 100,000 jobs in July, but market is still tough for young and unemployed - [Beckley Register-Herald](https://register-herald.com/region/us-likely-added-nearly-100-000-jobs-in-july-but-market-is-still-tough-for/article_0a39b43b-4924-50a8-bf07-ac27625e0430.html) — US likely added nearly 100,000 jobs in July, but market is still tough for young and unemployed - [Bozeman Daily Chronicle](https://bozemandailychronicle.com/wire/business/us-likely-added-nearly-100-000-jobs-in-july-but-market-is-still-tough-for/article_05e675fc-3aca-58bf-ac10-739adf3556b9.html) — US likely added nearly 100,000 jobs in July, but market is still tough for young and unemployed - [Daily Jefferson County Union](https://dailyunion.com/news/nation_world/us-likely-added-nearly-100-000-jobs-in-july-but-market-is-still-tough-for/article_0cc2e236-97e5-505d-8de2-bdea16e96e17.html) — US likely added nearly 100,000 jobs in July, but market is still tough for young and unemployed - [SooLeader.com](https://sooleader.com/michigan-news-ap/us-likely-added-nearly-100000-jobs-in-july-but-market-is-still-tough-for-young-and-unemployed-12638511) — US likely added nearly 100,000 jobs in July, but market is still tough for young and unemployed - [The Hamilton Spectator](https://thespec.com/business/us-likely-added-nearly-100000-jobs-in-july-but-market-is-still-tough-for-young-and-unemployed/article_98f73a4e-19ad-5637-9879-d96d752ffd22.html) — US likely added nearly 100,000 jobs in July, but market is still tough for young and unemployed - [The Record](https://therecord.com/business/us-likely-added-nearly-100000-jobs-in-july-but-market-is-still-tough-for-young-and-unemployed/article_4950a62c-05fd-5499-b43a-100a20f1d884.html) — US likely added nearly 100,000 jobs in July, but market is still tough for young and unemployed - [St Catharines Standard](https://stcatharinesstandard.ca/business/us-likely-added-nearly-100000-jobs-in-july-but-market-is-still-tough-for-young-and-unemployed/article_45ceb3e3-984d-5c52-92d7-4f4bccf7ea42.html) — US likely added nearly 100,000 jobs in July, but market is still tough for young and unemployed - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/business/2026/08/06/us-likely-added-nearly-100000-jobs-in-july-but-market-is-still-tough-for-young-and-unemployed) — US likely added nearly 100,000 jobs in July, but market is still tough for young and unemployed - [Crypto Briefing](https://cryptobriefing.com/feds-musalem-us-labor-market-strong-near-full-employment) — Fed's Musalem: US labor market strong, near full employment - [RocketNews](https://rocketnews.com/2026/08/us-adds-272000-jobs-as-labor-market-holds-unexpectedly-strong-3) — US adds 272,000 jobs as labor market holds unexpectedly strong - [Floor Covering News](https://fcnews.net/2026/08/u-s-july-jobs-report) — U.S. economy adds 79K jobs in July - [WPLG](https://local10.com/news/2026/08/07/us-likely-added-nearly-100000-jobs-in-july-but-market-is-still-tough-for-young-and-unemployed) — US likely added nearly 100,000 jobs in July, but market is still tough for young and unemployed - [WKMG](https://clickorlando.com/news/2026/08/06/us-likely-added-nearly-100000-jobs-in-july-but-market-is-still-tough-for-young-and-unemployed) — US likely added nearly 100,000 jobs in July, but market is still tough for young and unemployed ## Questions **How many jobs did the US add in July?** Economists surveyed by FactSet expect the US to have added 98,000 jobs in July, an improvement on June’s 57,000 but below the 2026 monthly average of 92,000. The official figures will be released by the Labor Department on Friday. **What is the current unemployment rate?** The unemployment rate was 4.2% in June, the lowest in a year, and economists expect it to remain at that level in July. The Labor Department will confirm the figure on Friday. **Why is long-term unemployment rising?** In May, 27.5% of unemployed Americans had been out of work for six months or more, the highest share since late 2021. Economists attribute this to a shrinking pool of available workers and reduced hiring needs due to rising productivity and demographic shifts. **Which outlets did not cover this story?** No right-rated outlet ran this story. All coverage came from left-rated and centre-rated outlets, with the left emphasising long-term unemployment and the centre focusing on the stability of the unemployment rate. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/business/us-job-growth-slows-as-long-term-unemployment-rises. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "US job growth slows as long-term unemployment rises", https://mediabias.news/business/us-job-growth-slows-as-long-term-unemployment-rises