BLS Publication

With schools back in session, let’s check out the driving forces behind employment trends in the school and employee bus transportation industry. Each June and July, as the school year comes to an end, employees in school and employee bus transportation fall off payrolls. Employment trends in August can vary from year to year, but a large employment buildup often follows in September, as school resumes.

Of the 15 largest areas, San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, California, had among the highest average compensation costs for private industry workers in March 2026 at $75.12 per hour worked. Miami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, Florida, had among the lowest average compensation costs at $37.84 per hour.

Soon after her passing, people in her native Tennessee and elsewhere proposed that September 25 should be celebrated as "Dolly Parton Day" in honor of Dolly Parton's life and accomplishments and in reference to 9 to 5 (9/25, get it?), the title of both one of her many hit songs and a movie about employed women, in which she starred with Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin, and Dabney Coleman.

In 2025, adults living in households with children under age 6 spent an average of 2.3 hours per day providing primary childcare to household children. This includes 58 minutes providing physical care and 34 minutes playing or doing hobbies with children, among other activities. Primary childcare is childcare that is done as a main activity.

Total employed 21,320,000 Agriculture and related industries 257,000 Nonagricultural industries 21,063,000 Private wage and salary workers 19,039,000 Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 31,000 Construction 1,289,000 Manufacturing 1,201,000 Wholesale trade 250,000 Retail trade 3,732,000 Transportation and utilities 763,000 Information 270,000 Financial activities 585,000 Professional and business services 1,806,000 Education and health services 2,944,000 Leisure and hospitality...

Employment is projected to grow 3.5 percent between 2025 and 2035. The two major occupational groups projected to grow the fastest are healthcare support (+13.3 percent) and healthcare practitioners and technical (+8.0 percent). These two healthcare groups combined are expected to account for almost one-third of all new jobs created through 2035.

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Friday, September 18, 2026 USDL-26-1515 Technical information: Employment: (202) 691-6559 * sminfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/sae Unemployment: (202) 691-6392 * lausinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/lau Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov STATE EMPLOYMENT AND UNEMPLOYMENT - AUGUST 2026 Unemployment rates were lower in August in 8 states and the District of Columbia and stable in 42 states, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

Ask a young student what's their favorite subject ... and many of them might say, "lunch!" Those same students might not pay much attention to the cost of lunch items, but the price of lunch is a subject many parents study closely. For example, common sandwich items, white bread, lunchmeats, and lettuce have risen 87.5 percent, 58.3 percent, and 52.0 percent, respectively over the past 20 years.

Employer costs for employee compensation for private industry workers averaged $46.89 per hour worked in June 2026. Wages and salaries averaged $32.82, while benefit costs averaged $14.07. Wages and salaries accounted for 70.0 percent of employer costs, while benefit costs accounted for the remaining 30.0 percent.

The Producer Price Index for final demand increased 5.4 percent for the 12 months ended in August 2026. Prices for final demand goods rose 7.7 percent, while prices for final demand services rose 4.5 percent. Chart Image Chart Data Within goods, prices for final demand energy rose 24.4 percent, while prices for final demand foods were nearly unchanged (0.1 percent). Prices for goods less foods and energy increased 5.1 percent over the year.