The U.S. job market cooled down again in September 2026. Employers added only 29,000 jobs in September . That’s well below the usual pace over the past year, when the economy added about on average 45,000 jobs each month.
The unemployment rate edged up to 4.2%, from 4.1% in August. About 7.1 million people were out of work. Since March, the rate has stayed between 4.1% and 4.3%.
About 485,000 more people either had a job or were looking for one. The share of adults in the workforce rose from 61.6% to 61.8%. At the same time, about 406,000 more people reported having a job in the household survey.
U.S. Jobs Added in September
New jobs added to nonfarm payrolls during the month.
U.S. Employment at a Glance
Jobs added
Unemployment rate
Annual wage growth
Job Growth Has Been Uneven
Monthly change in U.S. nonfarm payroll employment.
July 2026
Original estimate: +21,000
−10,000
(revised October 2026)
August 2026
Original estimate: +162,000
+133,000
(revised October 2026)
+29,000
September job growth was much smaller than August’s revised gain.
Revisions also turned July’s reported job gain into a loss.
July and August figures revised in October 2026.
The U.S. Labor Force
Share of the civilian noninstitutional population aged 16 and older that is working or actively looking for work.
170.3M
163.2M
7.1M
Unemployment in Focus
Share of the labor force without a job but actively looking for work.
Americans counted as unemployed in September.
People unemployed for 27 weeks or longer.
About 27 out of every 100 unemployed people had been out of work for at least 27 weeks.
Which Industries Added or Lost Jobs?
Changes in payroll employment by selected industry in September 2026.
Health care
Jobs added
Construction
Jobs added
Manufacturing
Jobs added
Financial activities
Jobs lost
How Much Are American Workers Earning?
Average hourly earnings for private-sector employees.
Beyond the Unemployment Rate
The headline rate does not capture every form of difficulty in the job market.
Working part-time for economic reasons
These workers would prefer full-time work but are working fewer hours because of economic conditions or an inability to find full-time jobs.
People who wanted a job
These people wanted work but were not counted as unemployed because they did not meet the survey’s active job-search criteria.
What the September Jobs Report Tells Us
+17K
+11K
3.0%
29K
4.2%
−7K
U.S. jobs report September 2026: key Data
| Indicator | Sep-26 Jobs Report |
|---|---|
| Jobs added | 29,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.20% |
| Unemployed people | 7.1 million |
| Labor force participation | 61.80% |
| Employment-population ratio | 59.20% |
| Average hourly earnings | $37.81 |
| Annual wage growth | 3.00% |
| Long-term unemployed | 1.94 million |
