Jobs report: Hiring slows, jobless rate down slightly

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — The labor market lost momentum last month as job growth fell to a disappointingly slow pace. But the unemployment rate unexpectedly fell.

The economy added 96,000 jobs in August, down from 141,000 jobs in July, the Department of Labor said Friday.

Economists polled by CNNMoney were expecting 120,000 jobs to be added in the month.

Meanwhile, the unemployment ratefell to 8.1%, from 8.3% in July.

Related: Check the unemployment rate in your state

The weak job growth was seen as a negative signfor the struggling labor market. Economists often say at least 150,000 jobs need to be created each month to simply keep pace with the growing population.

The overall job market still has a long way to go recover from the financial crisis. Three years after the recession ended, roughly 12.5 million Americans remain unemployed, and 40% of them have been so for six months or more.