MW:U.S. adds 80,000 jobs in June; jobless rate 8.2%
By Jeffry Bartash
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) - The U.S. added a meager 80,000 jobs in June, the government reported Friday, falling short of market expectations and confirming that the labor market cooled off considerably in the second quarter. Economists surveyed by MarketWatch expected a 100,000 increase. The unemployment rate, meanwhile, was unchanged at 8.2%. Employment gains for May and April were basically unchanged. The number of new jobs created in May was revised up to 77,000 from an original estimate of 69,000, while April's figure was revised down to 68,000 from 77,000. The biggest gains in June occurred in the fields of professional services (47,000), health care (13,000) and manufacturing (11,000). Yet the private sector only added 84,000 jobs in total. The average workweek last month rose 0.1 hour to 34.5, while average hourly earnings climbed 6 cents to $23.50.
