U.S. employers added 29,000 jobs in September, a steep slowdown from August, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The unemployment rate edged up to 4.2%.
The September gain fell well short of economists’ expectations of just under 70,000 jobs. It was the final employment report before the midterm elections.
Revisions cut the combined July and August job totals by 60,000. July now shows a loss of 10,000 jobs, while August shows a gain of 133,000, down from the previously reported 162,000.
Other labor measures have been steadier: job openings and hiring changed little in August, while weekly unemployment claims fell for a fourth consecutive week, the Labor Department said Thursday.
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