CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The nation's jobless loom over President Barack Obama's presidential campaign. At no point will that association be more evident than Friday when the government reveals the nation's most recent unemployment numbers just hours after Obama wraps up his convention pitch and sets off on a tour of critical swing states.

No doubt, the economy has defined the presidential race. Voters say it's their top issue and presidential challenger Mitt Romney has made it his central theme as he prosecutes his case against Obama. But the economy has also provided little variation. It has been marked by sluggish growth and a jobs flat line that has done little to alter the dynamics of the presidential contest.

The most recent consensus from economists is that the economy in August added a net of 135,000 jobs — that would be down from the 163,000 added in July, but would likely keep the unemployment rate at 8.3 percent for another month.

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