Hiring slows for second month in a row

WASHINGTON — U.S. employers pulled back on hiring in April for the second straight month, evidence of an economy still growing only sluggishly, posing a threat to President Barack Obama’s hopes of winning re-election.

While the unemployment rate dipped — only because more Americans gave up looking for work — Obama is likely to face voters in November with the highest unemployment rate of any U.S. president since World War II.