Payroll employment changed by 29,000 jobs in September 2026. The Unemployment The unemployment rate is the share of the labor force classified as unemployed. Read the full explanation → rate was 4.2%.
Why it matters
Hiring gives context for job opportunities. The Unemployment The unemployment rate is the share of the labor force classified as unemployed. Read the full explanation → rate puts the number of people looking for work in perspective. Together they say more than either measure alone.
In everyday life
Workers may experience different conditions by location and industry. A national jobs figure cannot tell you whether a specific employer is hiring or whether your pay keeps up with prices.
What remains uncertain
The newest payroll estimate is preliminary and can be revised. A single month does not establish a trend.
Choose “Go deeper” for the full explanation, definitions, and differences across households.
Sources & dates
EMPSIT official release
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Event
- Official release on Oct 2, 2026. A statistical release describing an earlier observation period.
- Observation period
- September 2026
- Geography
- United States
- Methodology
- Payroll change: jobs, monthly change, seasonally adjusted. Unemployment rate: percent, seasonally adjusted.
- Publication
- Meaningful update
Figures were extracted and checked against named BLS public-data series; the source link opens the matching dated release. Monthly payroll change uses consecutive seasonally adjusted levels, and annual CPI change uses the unadjusted index one year apart. Official estimates may be revised.
A source check is not a new economic release. These are the figures available in the linked release vintage. Later releases may revise them.
Revision history (1)
Oct 9, 2026 — Initial publication.