Moves in the economy, no matter how minuscule, are amplified this presidential election year. The jobs report for June, issued Friday by the Labor Department, was the latest indicator that the economy is sluggish, showing lower-than-expected job growth and a flat unemployment rate. This news typically would not bode well for a president seeking reelection.

The unemployment rate, 8.2 percent in June, was unchanged from May and hasn’t moved much the first half of the year. Only 80,000 new payroll jobs were added, below projections, and private payroll growth was the weakest it has been in 10 months.

One takeaway from the new numbers is that efforts by the president and Congress to jump-start the economy and spur job growth have been of little help and, arguably, have hindered employment.