U.S. Economy Adds 223,000 Jobs In June, But Wages Were Flat

03:13

July 02, 2015

A "now hiring'' sign is seen in a storefront window on July 5, 2012 in Miami Beach, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

The U.S. economy added 223,000 jobs in June, and the unemployment rate fell to 5.3 percent, according to new numbers from the Department of Labor.

The unemployment rate is now at the lowest mark since the Great Recession. But while the overall report was positive, there were some cloudy signs. Wages did not move, and the unemployment rate fell in large part because Americans were leaving the work force. The labor force participation rate fell to 62.6 percent, the lowest point since 1977.

NPR's Marilyn Geewax joins Here & Now's with details and analysis of the June jobs report.

Guest

Marilyn Geewax, senior business editor for NPR. She tweets @geewaxnpr.

This segment aired on July 2, 2015.