In August, the U.S. job market exceeded expectations by adding 187,000 jobs, indicating resilience amid pressure from Federal Reserve interest rate hikes. However, the unemployment rate rose to 3.8%, the highest since February 2022, while the labor force participation rate increased to 62.8%, the highest since February 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic. Average hourly earnings increased by 0.2% for the month and 4.3% year-on-year, slightly below forecasted figures of 0.3% and 4.4%, respectively.