A construction worker roofs an apartment complex in Uniondale, N.Y., on May 27. U.S. employers added fewer jobs last month even as the unemployment rate fell to 8.4%.

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Al Bello/Getty Images

A construction worker roofs an apartment complex in Uniondale, N.Y., on May 27. U.S. employers added fewer jobs last month even as the unemployment rate fell to 8.4%.

Al Bello/Getty Images

U.S. employers added 1.4 million jobs last month. The unemployment rate fell to 8.4%, from 10.2% in July.

While the monthly snapshot from the Labor Department shows improvement, job growth has slowed since June, in a sign of what could be a long and painful recovery from the pandemic recession.

August job gains were boosted by the temporary hiring of 238,000 workers to complete the 2020 census.

The economy has so far recovered less than half of the 22 million jobs that were lost this spring. As of mid-August, more than 29 million people were collecting some form of unemployment benefits. That includes millions of gig workers and self- employed people who are not recorded in the monthly payroll count.

Two surveys this week showed expansion in both the manufacturing and service sectors of the economy. But while factory production accelerated in August, the much larger services sector appeared to be tapping the brakes.

The Labor Department reported job gains in retail, health care, education and professional services.

Transportation and warehousing added 78,000 jobs but the industry continues to struggle. Major airlines have threatened to cut tens of thousands of jobs next month, unless they receive additional help from the federal government.