September 8, 2026 —Far surpassing expectations of forecasters, there was a rebound to 162,000 jobs created by employers in August, and July figures were revised for an additional 21,000 jobs, that brought July to 51,000. The Bureau of Labor Statistics previously indicated that U.S. employers reduced jobs by 23,000 in July. June payroll gains were also revised higher, proving the overall summer job market was stronger than economists predicted it would be.
The unemployment rate stayed put at 4.1% in August. There was uncertainty in the spring about the hiring momentum, but the August report is encouraging news for the labor market. Despite signs in the spring that hiring was gaining momentum, there were concerns that the labor market was reverting to a “meh” state. Job openings and the rate of hiring had stalled even as layoffs remain exceedingly low. This report, however, is an encouraging sign that the fragile labor market may be on sturdier footing. The labor force participation rate increased to 61.6% in August after falling to 61.4% the month before.
Take a look at these facility manager and related positions across the U.S. representing various industries, including government contracting, finance, biotech, real estate, museum, national lab, production, power and senior living, on the FMLink Career Center:
- Facilities & IT Manager, ARETUM Holdings, Bethesda, MD
- Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Facilities Officer, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
- Facilities Manager, Lake Ridge Bank, Evansville, WI
- Construction Project Manager – Facility Renovation & Fit-Out, Genscript, Piscataway, NJ
- Property Manager, Kimco Realty Corp., Timonium, MD
- Manager of Exhibits + Facilities, National Children’s Museum, Washington, DC
- Senior/Principal Facilities Technologist – Construction Observer & Inspector, Sandia National Labs, Albuquerque, NM
- Utilities & Facilities Manager, Perrigo, Bronx, NY
- Facilities & Executive Concierge Support Specialist, Freedom Mortgage, Moorestown, NJ
- Facilities Leader, OmniOn Power, Plano, TX
- Facilities Capital Management Intern, The World Bank, Washington, DC
- Director of Facilities Operations, Ingleside, Rockville, MD
The aging workforce impacts beyond FM
Mirroring the concerns of the facility management profession overall, employers have been managing around a shrinking supply of available workers because of an aging population and restrictive immigration policies. Still, there is a segment of the labor market, such as recent college graduates, who are having difficulty finding work.
Though the labor market has stayed steady, people seeking employment, including recent college graduates, have had trouble finding work. Wages are failing to keep up with inflation, as gas prices have increased again. The Federal Reserve is focusing on inflation and is still considering whether to raise rates later in September.
The FMLink Job Board connects facility managers, planners and related commercial planning and design professionals across all disciplines and career stages with employers, offering career opportunities. In addition to serving as a robust source of up to thousands of facility management professional job opportunities, the FMLink Career Center offers career planning advice to FM professionals and employers.
