U.S. employers added 156,000 jobs in August, and the unemployment rate held relatively steady at 4.4 percent, according to the government's latest jobs report.
However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) noted that the survey was completed before Hurricane Harvey struck the coast of Texas and its many millions of people. Houston alone, the nation's fourth largest city, has a population of more than 2 million.
That catastrophe will affect regional employment, since so many businesses have shut down because of the storm. That may be partially offset by additional hiring during cleanup efforts, but whether many smaller businesses survive remains an open question.
Meanwhile, there are reports of additional migrants crossing the border seeking employment in the recovery programs, but whether these technically illegal workers are eventually counted is an open question.
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