Employee Participation

American businesses added 176,000 jobs in August, a private survey showed Thursday. That was fewer than in June and July but roughly in line with the monthly average for the year.

Fast-food protests are under way in cities including New York, Chicago and Detroit, with organizers expecting the biggest national walkouts yet in a demand for higher wages.

The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits remained near the lowest level in more than five years last week, a sign that companies are cutting few jobs.

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week after reaching the lowest level in 5 years. But the broader trend suggests companies are laying off fewer workers and could step up hiring in the months ahead.

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee on Monday rejected the idea of giving immigrants in the United States illegally a special pathway to citizenship, and said the House must chart its own course on immigration even if it never results in a bill President Barack Obama can sign.

Unemployment rates rose in more than half of U.S. states in July and fewer states added jobs, echoing national data that show the job market may have lost some momentum.