Official data explained
How to Read the Jobs Report
A source-first guide to payrolls, unemployment, labor-force participation, wages, and why they can send different signals.
Two surveys, different measures
The monthly Employment Situation combines an establishment survey, which produces payroll employment, and a household survey, which produces the unemployment rate and labor-force measures. They are not interchangeable.
Different survey methods and seasonal adjustment can make the headline measures move differently in a given month.
Unemployment and participation
The unemployment rate counts people without a job who are available for work and actively seeking work. Labor-force participation adds context by measuring the share of the population working or looking for work.
Wages are not purchasing power
Average hourly earnings are a wage measure. They do not by themselves show whether purchasing power rose, because prices, hours worked, and worker composition also matter.
Follow the underlying data
Use the live jobs dashboard for current context, then consult the publisher's original release for definitions, revision details, and tables.
Numbers Uncovered provides source-backed editorial context, not investment advice. A single release should not be treated as a complete forecast.