US Nonfarm Payroll Increases by 119,000 in September; Unemployment at 4.4%

On Thursday, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 119,000 in September, showing little change since April.

The unemployment rate was 4.4%, with 7.6 million people unemployed. Both measures have changed little in recent months but remain higher than a year earlier, when the jobless rate was 4.1% and 6.9 million people were unemployed.

Growth was led by the following sectors:

• Health care added 43,000 jobs, compared with the 12-month average of 42,000.
• Food services and drinking places continued to trend upward, gaining 37,000 jobs.
• Social assistance employment continued to trend up, gaining 14,000 positions, reflecting growth in individual and family services.

Job losses were concentrated in the following:

• Transportation and warehousing fell by 25,000. Within the sector, warehousing and storage declined by 11,000, and couriers and messengers fell by 7,000.
• Federal government employment was down 3,000. Since peaking in January, federal payrolls have declined by 97,000. The BLS noted that employees on paid leave or receiving severance pay are still counted as employed in the establishment survey.

Employment showed little change over the month in most other major industries, including mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; construction; manufacturing; wholesale trade; retail trade; information; financial activities; professional and business services; and other services.

Monthly Revisions

Revisions result from additional reports received from businesses and government agencies since the last published estimate and from recalculations of seasonal factors.

The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for July was revised down by 7,000, from 79,000 to 72,000, and the change for August was revised down by 26,000, from up 22,000 to down 4,000. With these revisions, employment in July and August combined is 33,000 lower than previously reported.