Slow recovery: US jobs rise less than forecast in September amid Covid-19

US job gains slowed in September and many Americans quit looking for work, suggesting the economic recovery is downshifting as the country struggles without a Covid-19 vaccine or fresh government aid.
 

Nonfarm payrolls increased by 661,000 following an upwardly revised 1.49 million advance in August, according to data Friday from the Labor Department. That compared with the median estimate of economists for a gain of 859,000. The unemployment rate fell by more than forecast, dropping 0.5 percentage point to 7.9%, though the labor-force participation rate declined by 0.3 point to 61.4%, with declines particularly pronounced among women.
 

The report, the