With Jobs Numbers Like These, It’s Hard To See Why The Economy Is Slowing

A construction worker lays down shingles on the roof of a new house in Brandon, Miss., on June 19.

Rogelio V. Solis / AP

Updated at 9:31 a.m. ET

The economy is slowing down but it keeps creating jobs at a healthy pace. Employers added 164,000 jobs last month, as the unemployment rate held steady at 3.7%, the Labor Department said Friday. The jobless rate remains at a nearly 50-year low.

Analysts had expected about 165,000 jobs to be added in July and the unemployment rate to be 3.6%.