The American economy appears to be growing too slowly to pull the job market out of a slump, according to data that suggests June will be another weak month for hiring.
Applications for unemployment benefits in the latest week stayed above a level generally considered too high to lower the unemployment rate. And the annual growth rate for the January-to-March quarter was unchanged at a tepid 1.9 percent.
The two government reports released Thursday added to the picture of an economy that is faltering for the third consecutive year after a promising start. Job growth has tumbled, consumers were less confident and Europe’s financial crisis damped demand for American exports.
