Unemployment rate edges up, job growth slows

Employers added 92,000 workers in July, less than economists' forecasts

WASHINGTON - Hiring cooled off in July, pushing the nation’s unemployment up to 4.6 percent, a six-month high.

The fresh snapshot of employment conditions around the country, released by the Labor Department Friday, also showed that new job creation slowed. Employers increased payrolls by 92,000 last month, the fewest add-ons in a single month since February.

Job losses in construction, manufacturing, retailing and by the government blunted gains in education and health care, professional and business services, and leisure and hospitality