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The U.S. economy added 29,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in September, while the unemployment rate rose to 4.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The agency also revised July and August payroll figures down by a combined 60,000 jobs, leaving those months weaker than first reported.
The U.S. economy added 29,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in September, while the unemployment rate rose to 4.2%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The agency said both measures changed little from August, but downward revisions to July and August reduced the two months’ combined reported employment change by 60,000 jobs.
September’s payroll increase was below the 45,000 average monthly gain recorded over the previous 12 months. Employment changed little across major industries, the BLS reported. The figures describe a month with modest overall hiring rather than broad gains concentrated across sectors.
Construction employment rose by 11,000, close to the industry’s average monthly gain of 10,000 over the prior year. Nonresidential specialty trade contractors added 12,000 jobs, continuing an upward trend, according to the report. The source does not provide further detail on other construction subsectors.
Manufacturing added 9,000 jobs in September, matching August’s reported increase. The sector’s employment level was up 72,000 from a recent low in December 2025. Within manufacturing, plastics and rubber products and machinery each added 5,000 jobs during September, according to the BLS figures cited by Hardware Retailing.
The biggest change to the report’s recent picture came from revisions. July’s payroll change was revised from a gain of 21,000 to a loss of 10,000, while August was revised from a gain of 162,000 to 133,000. Taken together, those adjustments mean July and August employment was 60,000 lower than previously reported.
Hiring Pace and Revised Payrolls
The September figures offer a snapshot of a labor market with limited monthly job growth and little change across major industries. The 29,000 increase was below the previous 12-month average, while the unemployment rate moved up to 4.2%. Those numbers matter to workers, employers and businesses because they inform assessments of hiring conditions and the wider economy.
The revisions also change how recent employment trends appear. July shifted from a reported gain to a 10,000-job decline, and August’s gain was reduced by 29,000. That does not erase the employment increases reported for August or manufacturing’s gains since December, but it means the initial estimates overstated payroll growth across July and August by a combined 60,000 jobs.
For industries that depend on household demand and construction activity, the broad finding is that September employment was largely steady, not that every business or occupation experienced the same conditions. The source report provides national sector totals and selected industry details, rather than local or company-level hiring data.
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How September Fits Recent Data
The BLS report, as summarized by Hardware Retailing on October 5, compares September with August and places the month’s payroll change against an average of 45,000 monthly jobs added over the preceding 12 months. It says employment in all major industries changed little during September.
Sector figures show varied movement within that overall picture. Construction added 11,000 jobs, around its prior-year monthly average, while manufacturing added 9,000. Manufacturing employment was reported as 72,000 above its December 2025 low; that comparison concerns the sector’s change from the stated low, not its September monthly gain.
The July and August revisions are part of the report’s updated accounting of recent payroll changes. July’s estimate moved down by 31,000 and August’s by 29,000, for a 60,000 combined downward revision. The revised figures replace the earlier estimates in the BLS report.
“Total nonfarm payroll employment changed little in September (+29,000).”
— The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as reported by Hardware Retailing
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Limits of the September Snapshot
The source material does not provide the full BLS release, detailed household-survey results, labor-force participation, wage growth, or the number of people unemployed. It also does not explain what drove the increase in the unemployment rate to 4.2%, so the available figures do not establish a cause for that change.
The September payroll estimate may be revised in later releases, as the July and August figures were revised in this report. The supplied information does not specify the range of uncertainty around the September estimate or provide a forecast for hiring in October. It is therefore not possible from these figures alone to determine whether the modest monthly gain will persist.
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Upcoming Payroll Revisions and Trends
Readers can compare the September result with the next monthly employment release for evidence of whether payroll growth strengthens, slows or remains near the recent pace. Later BLS reports may also revise September’s estimate, as this release revised the July and August figures.
Further releases will help show whether the 4.2% unemployment rate holds, changes, or accompanies a different pace of hiring. The report summarized here does not state when the next release will be published or provide an outlook for October, so those details remain outside the available source material.
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Key Questions
How many jobs did the U.S. add in September?
The economy added 29,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in September, according to the BLS figures reported by Hardware Retailing.
What was the unemployment rate?
The unemployment rate was 4.2%. The report said it increased from August but changed little overall; the source material does not give further detail on the cause.
Which industries added jobs?
Construction added 11,000 jobs, including 12,000 in nonresidential specialty trade contractors, while manufacturing added 9,000. The source says employment changed little across major industries overall.
What changed in the July and August figures?
July was revised from a gain of 21,000 jobs to a loss of 10,000. August was revised from a gain of 162,000 to 133,000, leaving the two months’ combined employment change 60,000 lower than previously reported.
Could September’s jobs figure be revised?
Yes. The report shows that monthly payroll estimates can be revised: the BLS adjusted July and August figures in this release. The supplied material does not say how much September’s estimate might change.
Source: rss
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