U.S. employers hired at a steady pace in July, a sign of underlying strength for the labor market despite a host of mixed economic signals. Nonfarm payrolls rose by a seasonally adjusted 255,000 last month , the Labor Department said Friday. Revisions showed U.S. employers added 18,000 more jobs in May and June than previously estimated. The unemployment rate, calculated from a separate survey of American households, was unchanged at 4.9% in July. Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal had expected employers would add 179,000 jobs in July alongside an unemployment rate of 4.8%. Hiring figures have been strong for two consecutive months, though readings were choppy earlier in the year. So far in 2016 employment gains have averaged 186,000 per month, down from 229,000 per month in 2015. A slowdown wouldn’t be […]