What Was Revealed In The September Job Report?

Last month’s government shutdown delayed the publication of the monthly September jobs report. The surveyed data that was to be gathered in October was also disrupted, meaning that it will now be combined with the November jobs report. It is scheduled to be released on Dec. 16 at 8:30 a.m. ET after the FOMC meeting takes place on Dec. 10.

Key Takeaways:

• 119,000 jobs were added to the U.S. economy in September, which was more than double the number initially expected by forecasters. Concurrently, the unemployment rate rose from 4.4% to 4.3%.

• “The number of jobs added was the most since May, but this was below the monthly average of 147,000 in the 12 months through April,” according to Investopedia. Despite the below average numbers, the data demonstrated a stable labor market before the government shutdown began. 

• An increase in job-seekers ultimately led to the uptick in the unemployment rate, marked by the labor force participation rate rising from 62.3% in August to 62.4%. 

• The Labor Department confirmed cancellation of the October jobs report.

To learn more, read this Investopedia article and this Politico article.

Source: The New York Times