The August jobs report is coming. Here’s what to expect.

The American economy’s health — and the impact of the latest coronavirus surge — will come into sharper focus Friday morning when the government releases data on hiring and employment in August.

The Labor Department is expected to report a gain of 725,000 jobs, according to economists polled by Bloomberg, a bit slower than the rip-roaring pace of more than 900,000 recorded in June and July, but a healthy gain by most measures.

Still, with the Delta variant of the coronavirus bringing new restrictions in many parts of the country, a slowdown in some of the fastest-growing industries, like leisure and hospitality, is possible. Dining out and travel boomed in early summer as Americans emerged from more than a year of lockdowns, and experts are watching for a retreat.

“Delta is a game-changer,” said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Grant Thornton, an accounting firm in Chicago. “It’s not that people are laying off workers in reaction to Delta. But people are pulling back on travel and tourism and going out to eat, and that has consequences.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/03/business/economy/august-2021-jobs-report.html