U.S. employers added no net jobs last month, as plunging consumer confidence discouraged already nervous businesses from hiring, and the national unemployment rate was unchanged, the government reported Friday. The Labor Department said total payrolls were unchanged in August, the weakest report in nearly a year. Despite the lack of employment growth, the unemployment rate remained at 9.1 percent. The private sector added 17,000 jobs in August, the fewest since February 2010. That compares to 156,000 in July and 75,000 in June. Hiring fell across several sectors. Manufacturing cut 3,000 jobs, its first decline since last October. Construction, retail, and transportation also lost workers. A strike by about 45,000 Verizon Communications workers helped push information-services employment down by 48,000. The healthcare industry added 30,000 jobs.
