Jobs to the left, tariffs on the right

Can U.S. economy defy threats to continue surge?

WASHINGTON » The U.S. economy is showing consistent strength even after nearly a decade of growth, with Friday’s jobs report for August signaling that employers remain optimistic enough to hire freely and are finally paying more generously.

Consumers, the principal drivers of growth, are more confident than they’ve been in nearly 18 years. Americans are splurging on restaurant meals, clothes and cars.

Still, potential problems loom: The Trump administration is ramping up its trade fights, and interest rates appear likely to keep rising. The result is that businesses and consumers will likely find it somewhat more expensive to spend and borrow.

For now, though, the economy is expanding steadily, fueled by tax cuts, confident consumers, greater business investment in equipment and more government spending. Economic growth reached 4.2 percent at an annual rate in the April-June quarter, the fastest pace in four years.

Here are some key vital signs of the U.S. economy, roughly two months before the November midterm elections, which could transform the balance of power in Congress and reshape the economy: HIRING IS BOOMING » U.S. employers added a robust 201,000 jobs in August, the Labor Department said Friday, in line with the past year’s average monthly gain of 196,000. The unemployment rate remains at an ultra-low 3.9 percent, a rate that most economists say could fall even further if the ECONOMY » PAGE 3

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Joana Dudley of Lauderhill, Fla., looks at her list of job prospects at a JobNewsUSA job fair in Miami Lakes, Fla. U.S. employers likely hired at a healthy pace in August, emboldened by brisk consumer spending and an economy that keeps growing steadily.