U.S. employers hired more workers than expected in August, but moderate wage growth and a rise in the unemployment rate to 3.7% suggested the labor market was starting to loosen, raising cautious optimism that the Federal Reserve could slow the economy without triggering a recession. The Labor Department’s closely watched employment report on Friday, which also showed 107,000 fewer jobs created in June and July than initially estimated, did not decisively settle the debate on whether the U.S. central bank would deliver a third 75 basis point or half-a-percentage point rate hike at its policy meeting this month. The increase in the unemployment rate to a six-month high came as nearly 800,000 […]