U.S. employers added 29,000 jobs in September, below forecasts
CBS News MoneyWatch reported on Oct. 2, 2026, that the Labor Department's September payroll report showed employers added 29,000 jobs — short of economists' 90,000 forecast — after July and August payrolls were revised down by a combined 60,000.
BUSINESSINDY BRIEFBy BusinessIndy Editorial StaffCommentsPublished October 8, 2026 at 10:03 AM EDTOriginal reporting: October 2, 2026 at 10:52 AM EDT · Brief prepared from earlier coverage
AI illustration · Not a photograph of the reported event.
CBS News MoneyWatch reported on Oct. 2, 2026, that the Labor Department's September payroll report showed U.S. employers added 29,000 jobs, well below the 90,000 new jobs economists had forecast (FactSet). The Labor Department also revised July and August payroll gains down by a combined 60,000, per the same article.
Sector and payroll details included in the report: financial services lost 7,000 jobs while healthcare added 17,000. The unemployment rate was 4.2% in September, up from 4.1% the prior month, and wages rose at an annual rate of 3% — which reporter Heather Long described as "the lowest since May 2021." Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported layoffs through September had declined 40% year-over-year.
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