The U.S. added fewer new jobs in June than expected, while the unemployment rate ticked down, government data showed on Thursday, signaling the labor market was still facing headwinds.

Total nonfarm payroll employment grew by 57,000, and the unemployment rate fell slightly to 4.2%, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said in a statement on Thursday.

The main job growth sectors included health care and social assistance, while the leisure and hospitality sector lost jobs after a strong showing the previous month.

After months of seesawing growth and contraction, the U.S. job market posted strong gains in the last three months – but Thursday's data revised some of those numbers down.

Employment in April and May was revised down by 74,000 jobs, the BLS said.

June's data badly missed market expectations, with economists polled by Dow Jones Newswires and the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) expecting growth of 115,000 jobs.

Nevertheless, job growth remained in positive territory, with the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) not expected to intervene on the labor side of its mandate.

All eyes have been on the Fed since new chair Kevin Warsh headed his first rate-setting meeting last month, with the central bank indicating its focus was firmly on surging inflation.