US job growth slows as unemployment rises before midterm elections

The US economy added 29,000 jobs in September, with unemployment rising to 4.2 percent, according to Labor Department data.job growth in the United States slowed in September, falling short of economists’ expectations as the unemployment rate rose in the final jobs report before the consequential midterm elections.The US economy added 29,000 jobs in September, according to the Labor Department’s report released on Friday, far below economists’ expectations. Dow Jones had forecast 84,000 jobs, while economists polled by Reuters said they expected 90,000 job additions.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3US consumer confidence hits its lowest level since 2014 ahead of midtermslist 2 of 3Trump launches midterms campaign blitz amid record low approval ratingslist 3 of 3What would a US diesel export ban mean for global fuel prices?end of listThe unemployment rate also rose by 0.1 percentage point, from 4.1 percent to 4.2 percent.The healthcare sector led the gains, accounting for the majority of new jobs. The industry added 17,000 jobs, marking a slowdown from an average of 33,000 jobs per month over the past year. Construction added 11,000 jobs, while manufacturing added 9,000.Financial activities, which include sectors such as commercial banking and insurance, shed 7,000 jobs.Most other sectors were largely unchanged, including retail, oil and gas extraction, and leisure and hospitality.“Today’s disappointing report shows the labour market is grinding to a halt, marked by slow hiring and declining real wages that leave workers with very little leverage,” Kyle Moore, chief economist at the think tank The Century Foundation, said in remarks provided to Al Jazeera.Previous jobs reports were also revised downward. July was revised from an initial gain of 21,000 jobs to a loss of 10,000 jobs. August was revised down by 29,000 jobs, from 162,000 to 133,000.wages grew by 3 percent, marking the slowest annual wage increase in five years.