U.S. economy gains a strong 222,000 jobs in June

The U.S. economy added 222,000 jobs in June, the Department of Labor said, and job creation in April and May was higher than previously estimated. The unemployment rate held at 4.4 percent. Health care was the biggest contributor, with 37,000 new positions, with professional and business services adding 35,000. Employment growth has averaged 180,000 per month so far this year, in line with the average monthly gain of 187,000 in 2016.