US employers added 1.4 million jobs in August, unemployment rate at 8.4%

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Gwengoat/iStockBy CATHERINE THORBECKE, ABC News

(WASHINGTON) — U.S. employers added 1.4 million jobs last month and the unemployment rate fell slightly to 8.4%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its latest employment report on Friday.

While the fresh data may indicate some hope for an economy walloped by the COVID-19 crisis, the unemployment rate still isn’t anywhere near pre-pandemic levels. In February, the unemployment rate was 3.5%.

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