U.S. Adds Just 29K Jobs in September; Unemployment Ticks to 4.2%

NewsData.io · United States · Oct 3, 2026

The U.S. economy added a disappointing 29,000 jobs in September, well below the revised 133,000 in August and the roughly 90,000 economists had expected, according to the Labor Department. The unemployment rate edged up to 4.2% from 4.1%, and prior months were revised down by a combined 60,000 jobs. Average hourly wages rose just 3% year-over-year, the smallest gain since May 2021. The weak payroll print and softening job openings data signal a cooling labor market, which could reduce client demand for contract and temp placements while simultaneously increasing the candidate pool available to recruiters.