The US economy added 29K jobs in September 2026, following a downwardly revised 133K gain in August and coming in well below market expectations of 90K.
Job growth was concentrated in health care (17K), driven primarily by ambulatory health care services (13K) and hospitals (12K), as well as in construction (11K) and manufacturing (9K), with notable increases in plastics and rubber products (5K) and machinery (5K). By contrast, employment in financial activities declined by 7K.
Employment was little changed in several other major sectors, including mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; wholesale trade; retail trade; transportation and warehousing; information; professional and business services; social assistance; leisure and hospitality; other services; and government.
Revisions to prior data showed that total nonfarm payroll employment for July was revised down by 31K, from an initial estimate to -10K, while August was revised down by 29K to +133K. Taken together, these revisions mean that employment in July and August combined is now estimated to be 60K lower than previously reported.
