Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 336,000 in September, and the unemployment rate held at 3.8%.
Job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality, government, health care, professional, scientific, and technical services, and social assistance.
Leisure and hospitality added 96,000 jobs in September, above the average monthly gain of 61,000 over the prior 12 months. Employment in food services and drinking places rose by 61,000 over the month and has returned to its pre-pandemic February 2020 level. Accommodation employment continued to trend up over the month (+16,000) but remains below its February 2020 level by 217,000, or 10.3%.
Employment in government increased by 73,000, above the average monthly gain of 47,000 over the prior 12 months. Over the month, job gains occurred in state government education (+29,000) and in local government, excluding education (+27,000). Employment in government is slightly below (-9,000) its February 2020 level.
Health care added 41,000 jobs in September, compared with the average monthly gain of 53,000 over the prior 12 months. Employment trended up in ambulatory health care services (+24,000), hospitals (+8,000), and nursing and residential care facilities (+8,000).
Professional, scientific, and technical services employment rose by 29,000 in September, in line with the average monthly gain of 27,000 over the prior 12 months.
Social assistance added 25,000 jobs in September, about the same as the average monthly gain of 23,000 over the prior 12 months. Over the month, job growth occurred in individual and family services (+19,000).
Read the BLS release.
