U.S. Nonfarm Payrolls Rise Just 29,000 in September, Missing Forecasts

NewsData.io · United States · Oct 6, 2026

U.S. nonfarm payrolls grew by only 29,000 in September, well below the 90,000 economists had expected, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Downward revisions to July and August cut a combined 60,000 jobs from prior estimates, and the unemployment rate edged up to 4.2%. The weak report significantly reduced market odds of a Federal Reserve rate hike at its October meeting. For staffing firms, the data signals a continued low-hire, low-fire environment with softening demand across healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing — key sectors for temp and contract placement.