The figure is significantly below the 90,000 new jobs that, according to estimates cited by economists, had been expected for the month. The gap reinforces the image of a labor market lacking momentum, after a period already described as weak or disappointing in several reports.
NPR also reports that job gains in July and August were revised downward by a total of 60,000 jobs. The revision adds an element of weakness to the reading of the report, although the available summaries do not make it possible to establish a single definitive figure for the August data.
Interpretations of the causes are not uniform. The South China Morning Post attributed some of the weakness to a possible calendar anomaly and observed that the result might not represent a substantial change in the labor market. The precise cause, however, is not established by the available information.
Another account, reported by the Times of India, links the slowdown to slower hiring in the healthcare sector and cuts in government jobs. These details are supported by a single source and are not sufficient on their own to define the overall employment picture.
The report could have consequences for the debate over consumer prices, interest rates and Federal Reserve policy. The sources discuss these possible implications, but do not establish what decision the central bank will take.
PBS NewsHour discussed the data with Amna Nawaz and Beth Hammack, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. The discussion focused on what the slowdown means for the U.S. economy and the possible repercussions of weak hiring.
The report comes about a month before the U.S. midterm elections, giving the jobs data added significance in the economic and political debate. The combination of very limited job creation and unemployment at 4.2% is therefore fueling attention to the state of the economy, without by itself indicating the future direction of monetary policy.