U.S. employers added 187,000 new jobs in July, down from 209,000 in June and below economists’ expectations, according to the latest employment report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Most of the new jobs were reported in health care, finance and construction.
The report noted that the unemployment rate dipped to 3.6 percent from 3.5 percent in June, and average hourly earnings rose by 0.4 percent, to $33.74. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 4.4 percent.
Please check back later for more analysis from labor market experts.