Economists Expected 90,000 Jobs—America Added 29,000
U.S. payrolls rose by just 29,000 in September, unemployment edged to 4.2%, and July–August gains were revised down by 60,000. The report complicates the Fed’s next move without signaling a broad layoff wave.
U.S. Added 162,000 Jobs in August—And Suddenly a Fed Rate Hike Is Back on the Table
September 4, 2026
August hiring crushed forecasts and erased July’s reported job loss. The surprise is good news for workers—but it also raised the odds of another Federal Reserve rate hike.