The U.S. economy added 187,000 jobs inJuly, slightly less than expectations, while theunemploymentrate dropped to 3.5%.
The job gains were on par with those in June.
Employment in motion picture and recording industries fell to 463,000, from 469,200 a month earlier.
Labor Department building in Washington, D.C.Getty Images
TheWGA strikeslowed production, and the SAG-AFTRA walkout in July largely brought it to a standstill.
The figures are seasonally adjusted.
Jobs in publishing also fell, to 931,200, from 934,900.
Couldnt have been much better.
Job growth is strong, but moderating, consistent with the Federal Reserves efforts to quell inflation.
Wage growth is still a bit hot for the Feds liking, but it continues to cool off.
The average hourly earnings have rise by 4.4 percent over the past 12 months.
The figures tend to be revised in future months.
In fact, the robust job numbers for June and May were revised downward by 49,000 jobs.
That means that job growth in June was 185,000, and in May it was 281,000.
