Many economists say Friday's disappointing jobs report is sending warning signals about the pace of hiring across the U.S. and the broader health of the economy.

Employers added only 22,000 nonfarm jobs in August, far short of Wall Street analyst forecasts of 80,000, while the nation's unemployment rate rose to 4.3% — the highest level since October of 2021, when the economy was still reeling from the effects of the pandemic. In 2024, the economy added an average of 168,000 per month, labor data shows.

The job market is faltering partly because of the Trump administration's tariffs, which have increased costs for importers and complicated business planning, as well as the rapid adoption of AI across corporate America, according to economists.

"Uncertainty makes it very, very diff

See Full Page