U.S. employers added 156,000 jobs in September, a decent gain that reflects a steady economy but also a sign that hiring has slowed from its robust pace last year, The Associated Press reports.
The latest figures from the U.S. Labor Department released this morning also note that the unemployment rate ticked up to 5% from 4.9%. That occurred mostly for a positive reason: More people felt confident enough to start looking for work, though not all of them found jobs. As a result, more Americans were counted as unemployed.
Job growth has averaged 178,000 a month so far this year, down from last year’s pace of 229,000.
Nearly all the net job gains last month occurred in the services industries, including such higher-paying services as management and technical consulting, accountants and computer networking.
Manufacturers, meanwhile, shed jobs for a second month in a row, cutting 13,000. They’ve struggled for the past 18 months as businesses have reduced their spending on machinery and other equipment.
Last month, construction added 23,000 positions and retail 22,000. Employers added 15,000 jobs in a category that includes restaurants, hotels and casinos—its slowest gain since May. Hiring also slowed in the education and health sectors.
Recent data suggest that the economy is picking up after a weak start to the year, though growth is unlikely to accelerate very much.
