BREAKING: Hiring grew far more than expected in August, with the U.S. economy adding 162,000 jobs in the period, which marked an uptick from 23,000 jobs lost in July. Read more: ↧ Hiring blew past expectations in August, jobs report shows A jobs report on Friday provided a key gauge of the U.S. economy as shoppers weather elevated inflation and central bankers weigh a possible interest rate hike.