The United States posted weaker-than-expected job growth in June as new data showed the labour market is facing headwinds ahead of testing midterm elections for US President Donald Trump's Republicans.

Total nonfarm payroll employment grew by 57,000 and the unemployment rate fell slightly to 4.2 percent, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said in a statement on Thursday.

After months of seesawing growth and contraction, the US job market posted strong gains in the last three months – but Thursday's data revised some of those numbers down.

Employment in April and May were revised down by 74,000 jobs, the BLS said.

June's data badly missed market expectations, with economists polled expecting growth of 115,000 jobs.

Nevertheless, job growth remained in positive territory, with the US Federal Reserve not expected to intervene on the labour side of its mandate.

All eyes have been on the Fed since new chair Kevin Warsh headed his first rate-setting meeting last month, with the central bank indicating its focus was firmly on taming surging inflation.

Fed policymakers have indicated they expect one rate hike by the end of the year in order to curb inflation, but a slowing job market may give them pause. (AFP)


Edited by Aaron Tam