Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 142,000 in September, an increase from last month’s downwardly revised 136,000. The unemployment rate remained at 5.1 percent, within the Federal Reserve’s full employment estimate of 5.0 and 5.2 percent.
The majority of job gains were in health care and social assistance, which added 36,400, down from the 47,600 added in August. The leisure and hospitality sector followed with 35,000 jobs added, an increase of 3,000 from August.
Goods-producing industries shed jobs again in September. The mining industry shed 12,000, and the manufacturing industry dropped 9,000. Construction added 9,000 jobs and motor vehicles and parts added 2,100.
The civilian labor force participation rate fell to 62.4 percent, after holding at 62.6 percent for the past three months.
The number of long-term unemployed, those jobless for 27 weeks or more, was 2.1 million, down 83,000 from the previous month. This group accounts for 26.6 percent of the unemployed. The number of discouraged workers, those not looking for work because they believe no jobs are available, was 635,000, little changed from a year ago.
Average hourly earnings fell 1 cent to $25.09, following a 9 cent gain in August. Year-over-year, hourly earnings have risen by 2.2 percent.
Read the BLS release.
