August traditionally has been a difficult month for jobs numbers south of the border, and 2016 proved no exception.
Figures released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed non-farm payrolls increased just 151,000 for the month, the 10th time in the past 13 years August whiffed on market expectations.
Wall Street economists were expecting the non-farm payrolls report to show a gain of 180,000 in August, with the unemployment rate ticking down one-10th to 4.8%,
The bureau said the unemployment rate instead was unchanged at 4.9%. A more encompassing rate that included discouraged workers and those holding part-time jobs for economic reasons held steady at 9.7%.
The report comes at a critical time as the jobs numbers are being watched closely by the Federal Reserve. The U.S. central bank meets Sept. 20-21, with the possibility of a rate hike still on the table.
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