WASHINGTON (AP) – Employers in the United States unexpectedly cut 23,000 jobs last month, and Labor Department revisions shaved 103,000 jobs off payrolls in May and June. The unemployment rate dipped to 4.1 per cent only because Americans left the job market. The June jobs numbers from the Labor Department Friday marked a sharp reversal for the American labor market and a political setback for President Donald Trump less than three months before his Republican party seeks to keep full control of Congress in the midterm election.

The numbers were in line with economists’ expectations.

The report shows the first job decline since February, while the unemployment rate ticked down to 4.1%.