The September 2026 U.S. jobs report is already out: employers added 29,000 nonfarm payroll jobs, while the unemployment rate rose to 4.2%. Payroll growth was far below the roughly 90,000 jobs economists were expecting, according to the Associated Press, and below the 45,000 average monthly gain over the previous 12 months.
What the September jobs report showed
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the September Employment Situation on Friday, October 2, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Its headline figures point to slow hiring and a modest increase in unemployment.
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| Measure | September 2026 result | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Nonfarm payroll employment | Up 29,000 | Below the 45,000 average monthly gain over the prior 12 months and AP’s approximately 90,000 expectation |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% | Up from 4.1% in August; within the 4.1%–4.3% range recorded since March |
| Average hourly earnings | Up 0.1% for the month | Up 3.0% over the 12 months through September |
| Average private workweek | 34.4 hours | Unchanged |
Sources: BLS September 2026 Employment Situation and Associated Press, October 1, 2026. AP described the pre-release expectation as around 90,000; it is an approximate benchmark, not a precise consensus estimate.
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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Why the payroll and unemployment figures are different measures
The report combines two surveys, so the 29,000 payroll increase and 4.2% unemployment rate are not competing counts of the same thing. The household survey measures people’s labor-force status, including whether they are employed or unemployed. The establishment survey measures payroll jobs, hours and earnings by industry. One person with more than one payroll job can be counted more than once in the establishment survey, while the household survey counts people.
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What changed across industries
BLS said payroll employment changed little across major industries. Gains and losses were uneven:
| Industry or sector | September change | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Health care | Up 17,000 | Below its 33,000 average monthly gain over the prior year |
| Construction | Up 11,000 | — |
| Manufacturing | Up 9,000 | — |
| Government | Down 17,000 | Federal, state and local government employment fell |
| Professional and business services | Down 9,000 | — |
Source: BLS September 2026 Employment Situation.
Revisions make the recent hiring picture weaker
BLS revised its earlier payroll estimates downward. July’s change was revised from a gain of 21,000 to a loss of 10,000; August’s gain was revised from 162,000 to 133,000. Together, those revisions reduced the two months’ previously reported changes by 60,000 jobs.
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Monthly payroll figures are initial estimates and can change as BLS receives more reports from businesses and government agencies and recalculates seasonal factors. The September figure should be read as an initial estimate, not an immutable final count.
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The household survey counted 7.1 million unemployed people in September. The labor-force participation rate was 61.8%, and the employment-population ratio was 59.2%; both changed little. There were 4.5 million people working part time for economic reasons.
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Average hourly earnings rose 0.1% in September and 3.0% over the year, while the average private nonfarm workweek held at 34.4 hours. These figures describe pay and hours alongside the job count; they do not by themselves establish what the Federal Reserve will do.
What the report does—and does not—say
The report shows that September hiring was weak compared with both the approximate expectation cited by AP and the preceding year’s monthly average. The unemployment rate’s increase was one-tenth of a percentage point, and BLS said the rate has remained within a narrow 4.1%–4.3% band since March. One monthly report is not proof of a recession or a definitive signal of a particular Federal Reserve decision.
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Luke Tilley, chief economist at Wilmington Trust, told AP: “In this data, there is no sign that the labor market is stoking inflation.” That is an economist’s interpretation of this report, not a finding that settles the inflation outlook.
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When is the next jobs report?
BLS scheduled the October 2026 Employment Situation for Friday, November 6, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. Release calendars can change; check the BLS 2026 release schedule for the current listing. The September release date and time are also documented in the August 2026 release schedule notice.
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