BLS Set to Report 84,000 September Jobs as Fed Sees 4.1% Unemployment Holding
Updated
Updated · CNBC · Oct 1
BLS Set to Report 84,000 September Jobs as Fed Sees 4.1% Unemployment Holding
3 articles · Updated · CNBC · Oct 1
Summary
Friday’s September payrolls report is expected to show 84,000 new jobs and a 4.1% unemployment rate, a reading that could clarify whether the U.S. labor market is merely slowing or staying resilient.
That forecast would mark a downshift from August’s 162,000 gain, but it would fit a 2026 pattern of choppy hiring, with payroll growth averaging 80,000 a month and wage growth seen easing to 3.1% year over year.
Fed officials have pointed to that stable backdrop to argue against rushing another rate increase after September’s quarter-point hike, with markets now seeing an Oct. 27-28 move as less likely than a December increase.
Recent labor indicators still send mixed signals: initial jobless claims fell to 197,000 and Challenger said September layoffs dropped 18% from August, even as Glassdoor reported employee confidence hit a record low again.