US Economy Adds 173,000 Jobs In August, Unemployment Rate Falls To 5.1%
This story was updated at 12:15 p.m. EDT
U.S. employers added 173,000 jobs in August, fewer than widely expected, but the unemployment rate still edged down to 5.1 percent, its lowest level since April 2008, the Labor Department said Friday. Meanwhile, wage growth -- which has been stagnant for years -- edged up slightly more than anticipated to 2.2 percent.
Somewhat troubling, though, the labor force participation rate continues to drop, which indicates more Americans giving up on finding work.