The U.S. added 22,000 jobs in August, with unemployment rising slightly to 4.3%, in the latest sign of a slowing economy.
The numbers, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, have taken on new scrutiny after President Donald Trump fired the head of the agency following July’s lackluster jobs report, even as economists warned that the move was a step toward politicizing the statistics gathering of the federal government.
The latest jobs figures were lower than a number of economists expected. As is typical, the BLS revised its figures for July up slightly, by 6,000, to 79,000 jobs added during the month. But the June figures were revised down, from 14,000 to a loss of 13,000.
Jobs in movie and music fell by 7,600, to 401,000, while broadcasting jobs dropped by 300, to 333,700, according to the report.
The largest job gains in August were in health care and social assistance, with employment in the federal government continuing to fall. There also were drops in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, as well as wholesale trade.
Average hourly earnings for employees rose by 10 cents, to $36.53. Hourly wages have increased by 3.7% over the past 12 months.
After the August figures were released, Trump fired Erika McEntarfer, the commissioner of the BLS, claiming that she “faked” jobs numbers last year to help Kamala Harris. But the president’s claim was quickly refuted by William Beach, who headed the bureau during Trump’s first term. Trump also was jumbling the timeline of jobs revisions last year, per Politifact.
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