Employers added 147,000 jobs in June as U.S. labor market continues to defy expectations

Employers across the U.S. added 147,000 jobs in June, with the labor market remaining resilient despite slowing economic growth this year.

The numbers

Job growth was stronger than expected in June. Payroll gains sailed past the 115,000 predicted by economists polled by financial data firm FactSet.

The unemployment rate ticked down to 4.1% from 4.2% in May, the lowest since February. The rate came in below economists’ forecast of 4.3%, according to FactSet.