US hiring slows as delta variant weakens travel and tourism

WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s employers added just 235,000 jobs in August, a modest gain after two months of robust hiring at a time when the delta variant’s spread has discouraged some people from flying, shopping and eating out.

The unemployment rate dropped to 5.2% from 5.4% in July.

The August job gains the government reported Friday fell far short of the big gains in June and July of roughly 1 million a month.

Those increases were revised higher by a combined 134,000.

The gains in June and July followed widespread vaccinations that allowed the economy to fully reopen from pandemic restrictions.

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