The U.S. added only 29,000 jobs in September as job market lacks spark

October 1, 2026 · 2:43 pm 4 sources

Image: NPR

Coverage

Wires & papers of record

• The U.S. added only 29,000 jobs in September as job market lacks spark
  NPR · October 2, 2026 13:54
  U.S. employers added 29,000 jobs in September as the unemployment rate inched up to 4.2%. Job gains for July and August were revised down by a total of 60,000 jobs, extending a lackluster run for the job market.

Coverage

• September jobs report may show labor market is on the mend — but it’s far from cured
  MarketWatch · October 1, 2026 14:43
  The U.S. job market has been stuck in what economists call a low-hire, low fire mode for the past two years — and the September employment report is likely to be in line with this unusual trend.
• US job growth slows as unemployment rises before midterm elections
  Al Jazeera · October 2, 2026 16:20
  The US economy added 29,000 jobs in September, with unemployment rising to 4.2 percent, according to Labor Department.
• The U.S. jobs market just took a turn for the worse. Or did it?
  MarketWatch · October 3, 2026 13:00
  The bottom didn’t drop out of the labor market after a poor September U.S. jobs report. But what it did show is hiring is slow and it’s a tough time to find work.