Local school districts cut nearly 50,000 jobs as U.S. hiring stalls

U.S. employers cut 23,000 jobs in July, while local public schools shed nearly 50,000 positions amid tighter budgets and falling enrollment. The loss was a sharp miss; economists expected nearly 100,000 jobs added. Seasonal adjustments may exaggerate school cuts. Restaurants lost 26,000, retailers 19,000; private employers added 30,000. Unemployment fell to 4.1% as labor force shrank by 264,000. Pandemic-era federal aid has ended and enrollment declined, pressuring large districts. May and June job gains were revised down by 103,000 combined, and labor force participation slipped to 61.4%, the lowest since February 2021.