US Adds a Robust 255K Jobs; Unemployment Stays 4.9 Pct.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Employers added a healthy 255,000 jobs last month, a sign of confidence amid sluggish growth that points to a resilient U.S. economy.

The Labor Department says the unemployment rate remained a low 4.9 percent in July. More Americans launched job searches, and nearly all were hired. But the influx of job seekers meant that the number of unemployed fell only slightly.

The figures suggest that U.S. employers shook off concerns about Britain’s late-June vote to quit the European Union. Nor were they apparently discouraged by tepid growth in the first half of the year of just 1 percent at an annual rate.

Average hourly pay picked up and is 2.6 percent higher than it was a year ago, matching the fastest pace since the recession.