US hiring slumps to just 57,000 jobs added in June as momentum fades

US nonfarm payrolls rose by just 57,000 in June, far below expectations, as hiring slowed sharply after downward revisions to the prior two months' figures, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data released Thursday. The unemployment rate did, however, edge lower. Chief Economist Claudia Sahm of New Century Advisors described the report as a sign of fading job-market momentum.