U.S. Economy Added 372,000 Jobs in June, Defying Slowdown Fears

The U.S. economy powered through June with broad-based hiring on par with recent months, keeping the country clear of recession territory even as inflation eats into wages and interest rates continue to rise.

, the Labor Department reported Friday, and the unemployment rate, at 3.6 percent, was unchanged from May and near a 50-year low.

Washington and Wall Street had keenly awaited the new data after a series of…