It's a major index as to how the economy is faring stateside, and in August, the numbers paled in comparison to what the experts projected.
The U.S. Labor Department said Friday the economy created 156,000 jobs in August while the unemployment rate held at 4.3%.
Economists had been expecting payrolls to grow by 180,000 in August and the unemployment rate to hold steady at 4.3%
As well as missing estimates, previous months' job totals also were cut. June was revised down from 231,000 to 210,000 while July fell from the initially reported 209,000 to 189,000.
Wage growth also was weak for the month, with average hourly earnings up 0.1% for an annualized rate of 2.5%.
The Federal Reserve has been watching the numbers closely as well. The Fed has indicated plans to raise its benchmark interest rate target another quarter-point this year, but could be held back due to weak inflation. As an example, policymakers have been looking for signs of accelerated wage growth, which has been stuck around 2.5% for most of the year.
