US adds 162,000 jobs as unemployment stays 4.1%

The United States added 162,000 jobs in August and the unemployment rate stayed at 4.1 percent, government data showed Friday.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics said employment expanded in restaurants and bars, while local government education jobs recovered after a contraction the previous month.

Restaurants and bars added 59,000 jobs, above their average gain over the past year. Local government education, mostly public schools, added 42,000 jobs, largely offsetting a summer-holiday-related drop in July.

The data also revised June and July job numbers up by a combined 55,000.

Health care added 13,000 jobs, a slower increase than its average over the past year. Construction and manufacturing also gained jobs.

Information technology lost 23,000 jobs, including cuts in computing infrastructure, data processing and web hosting. Average hourly earnings rose 3.1 percent from a year earlier.