US economy added 173,000 jobs in August, data released on Friday by the Labor Department showed.
The figure was the smallest gain in five months and fell way short of the 215,000 figure analysts had expected.
The unemployment rate fell to 5.1% from 5.3% to reach its lowest level
since April 2008, while employment gains for July and June were revised
up by a combined 44,000.
The report, the last major data release before next week's meeting of
the Federal Reserve, was eagerly awaited by investors looking for clues
over the timing of the first interest rates hike but left analysts
unimpressed