US economy adds 119,000 jobs in September as unemployment rate rises

US Labor Market Hits a Speed Bump: Job Growth Slows Amid Rising Unemployment Rate

The latest jobs report from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed a mixed bag for American workers. While nonfarm payrolls grew by 119,000 jobs in September, the unemployment rate rose to 4.4%, indicating that the labor market is still experiencing headwinds.

Despite this, certain sectors saw significant gains, with healthcare employment surging by 43,000 jobs and food and beverage services adding 37,000. Social assistance also experienced a boost of 14,000 new hires. However, construction, wholesale trade, retail services, and professional business services remained relatively stagnant.

On the other hand, some sectors are shedding jobs, including transportation and warehousing, which lost 25,000 positions. The federal workforce also saw a decline of 3,000 employees since the beginning of the year, as well as a reduction in migrant workers coming to the US for employment.

Average wages grew by just 0.2 percent, or 9 cents, to $36.67, indicating that wage gains are not keeping pace with job growth. The slowing labor market is also being attributed to rising artificial intelligence usage, which is eroding demand for entry-level positions and affecting recent college graduates.

Additionally, trade policy under the Trump administration has been cited as a factor in stalling economic growth. The ongoing government shutdown also contributed to the delay in releasing the jobs report, which was initially scheduled for October 3 but was pushed back due to data collection challenges.

The implications of this report will be closely watched by policymakers, particularly the Federal Reserve, which will not have access to November's employment numbers until December 16. The Fed is set to meet on December 9-10, and many policymakers cautioned that lowering interest rates further could risk undermining efforts to quell inflation.

As economist Alex Jacquez noted in a statement, "The underlying labor market remains weak... Month after month, the Trump economy is producing fewer jobs, more instability, and fewer pathways for families trying to get ahead." The slowdown in job growth highlights ongoing challenges facing American workers.

I'm getting really worried about my kiddo's future, you know? I mean, 119k new jobs might not sound bad, but with the unemployment rate going up, it just doesn't feel like there are enough opportunities out there. And those sectors that are growing? They're all about healthcare and service industries... what about good-paying tech jobs or something?

And average wages only went up by 9 cents?! That's not even worth mentioning . It feels like we're not getting anywhere on the whole "affordable living" thing. I've been seeing so many articles about AI taking over entry-level jobs and I'm just like, what are they going to do?

And don't even get me started on trade policy... ugh. It's all so confusing. Can't we just have a level playing field for once?

I think this is super concerning . Job growth might be okay on paper, but when you look at the bigger picture, it's not as rosy as it seems. Those 119,000 new jobs? They're mostly from healthcare and social services, which isn't exactly a sustainable trend . And with construction and other industries not growing much either... it's like we're limping along instead of really moving forward.

And don't even get me started on the fact that wages are barely keeping pace with inflation . That 0.2% growth is basically nothing, especially when you consider that people need more than just a paycheck to survive these days. We need stability, security, and opportunities for advancement.

The thing is, I'm not entirely sure if we can blame this all on AI or trade policy alone . It's probably a combination of factors, but it's clear that something needs to change. The Fed should be careful when considering interest rate cuts; we don't want to risk propping up an economy that's still got some major holes in it.

Anyway, I'm not super optimistic about this situation . I think policymakers need to get creative and find ways to support workers who are struggling, especially the ones at the lower end of the income spectrum

So the US labor market is kinda stuck right now . Job growth is still happening but it's not like it was before. And you know what's weird? Unemployment rate went up . Like, we're supposed to be all about job growth and that stuff, but here we are.

And have you noticed how some sectors are just kinda... stagnant ? Construction, retail services... they just can't seem to pick up the pace. Meanwhile, healthcare and food services are like "oh, we're still good" .

I don't get why wage growth is so slow either . Like, I know inflation is a thing, but come on 0.2 percent? That's not even a blip on the radar .

And then there's this AI thing ... it's like, I get it, tech is changing everything, but what does that mean for us? Entry-level jobs are disappearing and recent graduates are left high and dry . Not cool, dude.

I think policymakers should really take a closer look at this stuff . They need to figure out how to get the labor market moving again or we're gonna be stuck in neutral forever ️.

the thing that's got me thinking about this whole situation is, what's the deal with average wages not keeping pace with job growth? like, 0.2 percent increase is basically nothing . and i'm all for rising artificial intelligence usage being a factor in this slowing labor market, but at the same time, it seems like we're seeing more job losses than gains in certain sectors. construction, warehousing... these are basic jobs that need to be filled. how's that gonna happen if wages aren't even keeping up?

the US labor market slowin down is no surprize fam! all these new tech jobs are comin outta left field, but not necessarily helpin the average worker. like, AI is erodin demand for entry-level positions and its makin it hard for people to get that first foot in the door

gotta say, I'm a bit surprised by the slowdown in the US job market. 119k new hires still seems like a decent number, but that unemployment rate of 4.4% is a concern. I remember when I was looking for my first job back in the day, it wasn't easy finding work. Nowadays, with all these automation tools and whatnot, I worry about entry-level positions getting cut. average wages only increasing by 0.2% is also pretty meh... hope policymakers can figure out a way to get things moving again!

the us labor market's slowdown is super concerning it's like they're stuck in neutral and can't seem to speed up their recovery the fact that some sectors are growing while others are shedding jobs just shows how uneven the playing field is right now i mean, 0.2% wage growth? that's basically nothing what's even scarier is the impact of AI on entry-level positions and recent college graduates - it's like they're being left behind in the dust

I'm not surprised to see the US labor market hit a speed bump . 119,000 new jobs might sound like a lot, but when you consider the unemployment rate is up to 4.4% , it's actually pretty concerning. And let's be real, $36.67 is hardly enough for anyone to make ends meet . The fact that average wages are only growing by 0.2 percent is a clear sign that things aren't going well for workers.

And don't even get me started on the impact of AI . I mean, who needs jobs when you can have automation? It's like the government is just piling it on and expecting everyone to be fine with it . The only good news is that healthcare and social assistance are still growing, but it's not enough to make up for everything else.

I'm all for a balanced economy and strong job market, but right now, it feels like the government is just messing things up . Maybe if they focused on supporting workers rather than just big corporations, we'd actually see some real growth .