Kevin Hassett, director of President Donald Trump’s National Economic Council, speaks to reporters about the Labor Department’s latest jobs report outside the White House on Friday morning, Sept. 4, 2026. (Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times) By SYDNEY EMBER Businesses in August shook off uncertainty related to higher gas prices, tariffs and artificial intelligence, unleashing an unexpected wave of hiring that affirmed the labor market’s health. Employers added 162,000 jobs on a seasonally…
