U.S. employers add only 29,000 jobs in September, much less than August

NPR | By Scott Horsley,

Steve Inskeep

Published October 2, 2026 at 4:47 AM MDT

The Labor Department offered an update Friday on the strength of the U.S. job market. The news comes as long-term interest rates have been climbing.

Scott Horsley

Scott Horsley is NPR's Chief Economics Correspondent.

Steve Inskeep

Steve Inskeep is a host of NPR's Morning Edition and Up First.

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