No new jobs were added to the economy in August, far below forecasts expecting a net gain of 60,000 jobs. The unemployment rate remains at 9.1 percent. The jobs figures are the latest in a string of dismal economic news, including the downgrading of the U.S.’s tripple-A credit rating, volatility in the stock market, and the ongoing European debt crisis. Though economists believe the U.S. will avoid a double-dip recession, many point to the toxic atmosphere in Congress as a hindrance to economic growth. Louise Story, Wall Street and finance reporter for The New York Times, analyzes these new numbers.