US job growth slows in September
Employers added 29,000 jobs and unemployment rose slightly to 4.2 per cent.
The US labour market grew much less strongly in September than the average over the past year. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 29,000 jobs were added, while unemployment stood at 4.2 per cent.
The official September jobs report shows little change in the total number of non-farm jobs. The increase of 29,000 jobs was below the average monthly rise of 45,000 in the preceding twelve months. The Bureau of Labor Statistics is therefore not warning of an abrupt turn, but it does describe a labour market with little momentum.
Unemployment remained within the narrow range in which it has moved since March: between 4.1 and 4.3 per cent. The number of unemployed stood at approximately 7.1 million. Labour-force participation, the share of the population that is working or looking for work, also changed little and stood at 61.8 per cent.
Figures for earlier months were revised downwards. Job growth in July was adjusted from 21,000 to a loss of 10,000 jobs. For August, the estimate went from 162,000 to 133,000 jobs. As a result, total job growth over July and August was 60,000 jobs lower than previously reported.
Healthcare added 17,000 jobs in September, considerably fewer than the average monthly increase of 33,000 in the preceding twelve months. Construction added 11,000 jobs and manufacturing 9,000. Financial services shed 7,000 jobs overall; employment there is 129,000 below its peak in May 2025.
Wages did continue to rise. Average hourly earnings in the private sector increased by five cents in September to $37.81. Over twelve months, hourly earnings rose by 3.0 per cent. The average working week remained at 34.4 hours.
One monthly report says little about the direction of the economy. The figures do indicate that both job growth and earlier estimates are weaker than initially thought. For businesses, workers and the Federal Reserve, the key question is whether this pattern continues in the coming months or whether the labour market stabilises.
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All figures cited come from the official US jobs report. The text remains cautious about the economic significance and presents the downward revisions as part of the statistical updating process.
- confirmed The United States added 29,000 jobs in September. — The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports +29,000 non-farm jobs. source
- confirmed Unemployment stood at 4.2 per cent. — This appears in the summary of the jobs report. source
- confirmed Average monthly job growth over the preceding twelve months was 45,000. — The BLS gives this average alongside the September figures. source
- confirmed Job growth in July was revised from a gain of 21,000 to a loss of 10,000, and August's figure from 162,000 to 133,000. — The revisions appear in the report's final paragraph. source
- confirmed Average hourly earnings rose to $37.81 and by 3.0 per cent year on year. — The BLS gives both figures in table B-3 and the summary. source
- confirmed The average working week remained at 34.4 hours. — This appears in the BLS establishment survey. source
Editor's note
The figures are preliminary monthly data from the US statistical agency and may be revised later. The article draws no conclusion about a recession based on a single report.Sources
- Employment Situation Summary, September 2026 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Employment Situation, September 2026 — U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- US adds disappointing 29,000 jobs and unemployment ticks up to 4.2% in September — Associated Press