Total nonfarm payroll employment grew by 136,000 in September, a decrease from last month’s upwardly revised reading of 168,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The national unemployment rate fell from 3.7 percent to 3.5 percent, which is the lowest rate in 50 years.
Private service-providing industries gained 109,000 jobs, led by education and health services, which added 40,000 jobs.
Goods-producing employment rose by 5,000 jobs during the month, as gains in construction led by adding 7,000. Manufacturing employment lost 2,000 jobs in September.
The civilian labor force participation rate was unchanged at 63.2 percent. Workers unemployed for less than 15 weeks decreased by 315,000. The number of long-term unemployed, those jobless for 27 weeks or more, increased by 71,000 and accounted for 22.7 percent of the unemployed. The number of discouraged workers was 321,000, down 62,000 from a year earlier.
Average hourly earnings fell by 1 cent, settling at $28.09. Over the past year, average hourly earnings have risen by 79 cents, or 2.9 percent.
Read the BLS release.