Electromagnetic dipole-strength distributions up to the particle separation energies are studied for the stable even-even nuclides $^{92,94,96,98,100}$Mo in photon scattering experiments at the superconducting electron accelerator ELBE of the Forschungszentrum Dresden-Rossendorf. The influence of inelastic transitions to low-lying excited states has been corrected by a simulation of $gamma$ cascades using a statistical model. After corrections for branching ratios of ground-state transitions, the photon-scattering cross-sections smoothly connect to data obtained from $(gamma,n)$-reactions. With the newly determined electromagnetic dipole response of nuclei well below the particle separation energies the parametrisation of the isovector giant-dipole resonance is done with improved precision.