U.S. jobs report below expectations

(CNN)– The U.S. economy added about 144 thousand jobs last month, a number way below expectations.

On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its latest jobs report, which included an unexpected increase in the unemployment rate 4.3%.

That’s the highest rate since October 20231.

Economists were expecting employers to have added 175 thousand jobs and for the unemployment rate to stay at 4.1%