US economy adds 142,000 jobs in August as unemployment rate softens

Unemployment at 4.2%

The US economy added 142,000 jobs in August, while the country's unemployment figure edged down to 4.2% from 4.3% a month prior.

Total nonfarm payrolls published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics today (6 September) came in below economist expectations of 165,000 and exceeded the downwardly-revised 89,000 jobs created in July. The construction sector added 34,000 jobs in August, more than the average monthly figure of 19,000. Meanwhile, the healthcare sector reported an increase of only 31,000 jobs, half the 60,000 monthly average recorded over the last year. US economy adds 114,000 jobs in July but unemployment figures creep up The labour market data release will be closely watched by Federal Reserve pol...