The big August jobs report is due out Friday. Here's what to expect for what has been a jobless summer

"Now Hiring" signage past recruiters as they speak to jobseekers during the WorkSource North Seattle Career Fair in Seattle, Washington, US, on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026.David Ryder | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesThe August jobs report set to be released Friday is expected to put the final touches on what has been a relatively jobless summer.If expectations hold, the Bureau of Labor Statistics count will show growth of just 53,000 in nonfarm payrolls, according to the Dow Jones consensus estimate. Even with the anemic growth rate, that is expected to be enough to keep the unemployment rate at 4.1%.More broadly, though, the report would follow counts for June and July that together showed a net loss of 3,000 jobs. Also, the initial August numbers have been revised lower for the past four years in a row.Together, the data suggest a labor market in neither boom nor bust mode — one that is increasingly becoming an afterthought for Federal Reserve officials looking to plot their next monetary policy action.The current state of the jobs picture is "stable but unexciting," said Dan North, senior economist for Allianz Trade North America."I don't see a whole lot of really robust growth, which is u...