Payroll Jobs Kept Growing in July, As More Americans Looked for Work

Employers added more than 200,000 jobs for the sixth straight month in July, showing the economy is making strides toward sustaining faster growth entering the sixth year of expansion, Labor Department figures showed Aug. 1.

The jobless rate rose as growing confidence prompted more Americans to look for work.

The 209,000 gain followed a 298,000 increase in June that was stronger than initially reported. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a 230,000 increase. The jobless rate climbed to 6.2 percent from 6.1 percent, while wages and hours were unchanged from June.

The degree of ...