Employers added only 22,000 jobs in August, and the unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.3 percent. Revised data also showed that employment fell by 13,000 jobs in June, the first net loss since December 2020.
The release of a second consecutive poor jobs report on Friday confirmed the reality that President Trump has been trying to avoid. The labor market is stalling -- and the nation is facing real strains -- under the weight of his economic agenda.