Without evidence, Trump called the data "rigged" and implied that BLS Commissioner Erika McEntarfer manipulated the numbers "for political purposes."

U.S. employers added just 73,000 jobs last month and Labor Department revisions showed that hiring was much weaker than previously reported in May and June. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2%. The deterioration in the job market is taking place with companies paralyzed by uncertainty over President Donald Trump’s erratic trade policies.

The Labor Department reported that the U.S. added 73,000 jobs in July, nearly half of what analysts expected, as President Donald Trump's trade policies unsettle American employers. The unemployment rate rose to 4.