U.S. Job Growth Lost Momentum Before Budget Fight Hit

By Lucia Mutikani

WASHINGTON -- U.S. employers added far fewer than expected workers in September, suggesting a loss of momentum in the economy that supported the Federal Reserve's decision to maintain its monthly bond purchases.

Nonfarm payrolls increased 148,000 last month, the Labor Department said Tuesday. While the job count for August was revised to show more positions created than previously reported, employment gains in July were the weakest since June 2012.