Employers across the U.S. added 22,000 jobs in August, falling short of economists' muted expectations and signaling the labor market is facing sharp headwinds from mounting economic uncertainty amid the Trump administration's wide-ranging tariffs.

The numbers

Economists had forecast payroll gains of 80,000 last month, according to a poll by FactSet.

Job creation has been slowing this year, with employers hiring an average of 35,000 each month from May through July, versus 168,000 workers each month in 2024.

Some companies are paring back hiring plans amid the on-again, off-again uncertainty of the Trump administration's tariffs, which are import duties paid by U.S. companies. Businesses in seven of the Fed's 12 regional districts canvassed in the latest so-called Beige Book , a su

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