Unemployment

The economy added far fewer jobs than expected in February, a slowdown from much stronger gains in December and January. But the jobless rate fell to 3.8 percent, and earnings growth picked up.

Job growth picked up for the 100th consecutive month even as hundreds of thousands of federal workers were furloughed during the partial government shutdown. Wage growth held steady.

Private analysts forecast that the U.S. unemployment rate remained at a nearly 50-year low of 3.7 percent in November and that the economy added 190,000 jobs. That's below October's gain of 250,000.

The midterm elections are days away, and Friday's jobs report will give voters a final glimpse of the strength of the economy. A key recurring question: Is wage growth finally picking up?

The jobless rate last month was the lowest since 1969, though the economy added a less-than-expected 134,000 jobs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Wage growth slowed to a 2.8 percent rate.

President Trump and former President Obama both claim credit for the economy. Democrats argue that Trump inherited an economy that was already strong, while Republicans insist he turned it around.

There are few employment opportunities for deaf or hearing-impaired people. But funding, training and business partnerships with deaf-friendly establishments are slowly helping to turn that around.

The government's June jobs report beat expectations with another 213,000 jobs added. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4 percent with more people entering the workforce.

Black unemployment fell to a record low 5.9 percent, suggesting that African-Americans are benefiting from the booming economy. And the gap between white and black unemployment has never been smaller.