U.S. employers added a disappointing 661,000 jobs in September as Sunbelt states resumed business reopenings that were disrupted by COVID-19 spikes over the summer, offsetting persistent layoffs by struggling firms that have exhausted federal aid.
The unemployment rate fell to 7.9% from 8.4% in August, the Labor Department said Friday. But that’s because the labor force — which includes people working and looking for jobs — shrank by about 700,000.
