U.S. employers added a solid 139,000 jobs in May despite uncertainty over trade wars

WASHINGTON — U.S. employers slowed hiring last month, but still added a solid 139,000 jobs amid uncertainty over Trump’s trade wars.

Hiring fell from a revised 147,000 in April, the Department of Labor said Friday. The unemployment rate stayed at 4.2%.

Trump’s aggressive and unpredictable policies — especially his sweeping taxes on imports — have muddied the outlook for the economy and the job market and raised fears that the American economy could be headed toward recession. But so far the damage hasn’t shown up clearly in government economic data.

Economists expect Trump’s policies to take a toll on America’s economy, the world’s largest. His massive taxes on imports — tariffs — are expected to raise costs for U.S. companies that buy raw materials, equipment and components from overse