The September 2026 jobs report, in plain English
Payroll employment changed by 29,000 jobs in September 2026. The unemployment rate was 4.2%.
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10 explainers Ordered by official release date
Payroll employment changed by 29,000 jobs in September 2026. The unemployment rate was 4.2%.
Read the explanationReal GDP changed at a 2.2% annualized pace in 2026 Q2 in the third estimate.
Read the explanationPCE prices changed by 3.4% over the year to August 2026. The month-to-month change was 0.3%.
Read the explanationEmployers reported about 7.1 million job openings in August 2026. This is a rounded, seasonally adjusted estimate of vacancies, not people hired.
Read the explanationCPI prices changed by 3.4% over the year to August 2026. This annual comparison is not seasonally adjusted.
Read the explanationEmployers added 162,000 payroll jobs in August. The unemployment rate stayed at 4.1%, with much of the hiring gain concentrated in restaurants and local education.
Read the explanationThe U.S. bought $88.6 billion more goods and services from abroad than it sold in July, up from June's revised $71.2 billion gap.
Read the explanationEmployers reported roughly 7.3 million open jobs in July, while hiring and departures were both about 5.1 million.
Read the explanationJuly 2026; openings on the last business day, hires and separations over the month
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics : Job Openings and Labor Turnover — July 2026The PCE price index rose 0.2% in July and 3.7% over a year. Spending increased in dollars, but was nearly flat after accounting for prices.
Read the explanationJuly new-home sales were estimated at a 607,000 annual pace. Inventory increased to 488,000 homes, while the estimated monthly sales decline was not statistically conclusive.
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