Quick answer
US employers added 29,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in September 2026, versus +133,000 the month before, and the unemployment rate was 4.2% (September 2026).
Jobs added+29,000
Unemployment rate4.2%
3-month avg+50,667
What changed vs last month
Payroll growth went from +133,000 to +29,000; the unemployment rate moved from 4.1% to 4.2%. Prior months are revised by BLS, so figures here reflect the latest published values.
Nonfarm payrolls and unemployment, last 13 months
| Month | Total nonfarm jobs | Monthly change | Unemployment rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | 159,044,000 | +29,000 | 4.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 159,015,000 | +133,000 | 4.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 158,882,000 | -10,000 | 4.1% |
| Jun 2026 | 158,892,000 | +31,000 | 4.2% |
| May 2026 | 158,861,000 | +63,000 | 4.3% |
| Apr 2026 | 158,798,000 | +148,000 | 4.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 158,650,000 | +214,000 | 4.3% |
| Feb 2026 | 158,436,000 | -156,000 | 4.4% |
| Jan 2026 | 158,592,000 | +160,000 | 4.3% |
| Dec 2025 | 158,432,000 | -17,000 | 4.4% |
| Nov 2025 | 158,449,000 | +41,000 | 4.5% |
| Oct 2025 | 158,408,000 | -140,000 | n/a |
| Sep 2025 | 158,548,000 | +76,000 | 4.4% |
Sources
- FRED: All employees, total nonfarm (BLS Current Employment Statistics) (observation September 2026, retrieved Oct 19, 2026)
- FRED: Unemployment rate (BLS Current Population Survey) (observation September 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Current Employment Statistics (retrieved Oct 19, 2026)