Private Hiring Weaker Than Expected

The nation's payroll grew by 431,000 last month—almost all because of a burst of temporary census hiring by the government. Private payrolls grew at the slowest pace since the start of the year—economists had expected more than 500,000 total new jobs. The unemployment rate dipped to 9.7% from 9.9%, as thousands of people left the labor force. Stock futures dove, leaving the market poised for a rocky opening. (More unemployment stories.)