Overview
- Nonfarm payrolls rose by 119,000 in September, beating forecasts, while July and August were revised down by a combined 33,000, with August now showing a 4,000 job loss.
- The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.4% as the labor force expanded, with 251,000 more people employed and participation edging up to 62.4%.
- Hiring was concentrated in health care (+43,000), bars and restaurants (+37,000) and social assistance (+14,000), while transportation and warehousing (-25,000), manufacturing (-6,000) and federal government (-3,000; about -97,000 year to date) declined.
- Average hourly earnings increased 0.2% on the month and 3.8% year over year to $36.67.
- Because a 43‑day shutdown halted October’s household survey, BLS will not publish an October unemployment rate and will release October establishment data with November’s on December 16.