Job growth slowed last month, with U.S. employers adding just 142,000 jobs. The unemployment rate, taken from a separate household survey, slipped to 6.1 percent, the Labor Department said Friday.
by Frank Kalman
September 5, 2014
The U.S. jobs picture ended a mostly positive summer on a low note.
U.S. employers added just 142,000 jobs in August, the lowest monthly total of the year, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The unemployment rate, meanwhile, taken from a seperate household survey, ticked down to 6.1 percent in August from 6.2 percent the month prior.
Economist surveyed by The Wall Street Journal expected employers to add 225,000 jobs in August.
The labor-force participation rate in August was 62.8 percent, its lowest level since the 1970s. Professional and business services added 47,000 jobs, while employment in health care increased 34,000, the government data showed. Manufacturing employment was flat after adding 28,000 jobs in July.
For more coverage on the monthly jobs data, check out news reports from The Wall Street Journal, New York Times and Business Insider.