US adds 142,000 jobs in August, less than estimates

By Ovunc Kutlu

ISTANBUL (AA) - The US economy added 142,000 jobs in August, less than market estimates, according to figures released Friday by the Labor Department.

The market expectation for nonfarm payrolls was a gain of 164,000 jobs last month.

Job additions for July were also revised down 25,000, from 114,000 to 89,000.

The unemployment rate decreased to 4.2% in August, from 4.3% in July, and came in line with market estimates.

The number of unemployed people increased to 7.1 million in August, from 5.9 million in July, while the labor force participation rate remained unchanged at 62.7% during that period.