The US labour market demonstrated unexpected resilience in September, adding a robust 119,000 jobs according to a long-delayed official report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
The report's release was pushed back by six weeks due to the federal government shutdown, creating heightened anticipation and uncertainty about the true state of the world's largest economy.
Exceeding Expectations Amid Economic Uncertainty
The official figure of 119,000 jobs added significantly outperformed analyst predictions, which had estimated a modest gain of just 51,000 positions for the month. This positive surprise provided a much-needed boost to economic sentiment.
Alongside the strong job creation, the unemployment rate remained steady at 4.4%, indicating a stable labour market despite the surrounding economic headwinds.
This official data stands in stark contrast to the unofficial private sector report from ADP for September, which had indicated a loss of 29,000 jobs. ADP's subsequent report for October pointed to a recovery, with an increase of 42,000 jobs.
Data Disruption and a Significant Revision
The prolonged federal shutdown has had a lasting impact on economic data collection. The BLS confirmed that the complete official jobs report for October will not be released as a standalone publication.
This is a direct result of the shutdown, during which essential data gathering and processing activities were halted. Official data on job creation for October will now be incorporated into the full November report, scheduled for a mid-December release.
The September report follows a previously noted slowdown, with the US economy adding only 22,000 jobs in August 2025, a month which also saw the unemployment rate tick up to 4.3%—its highest level since 2021.
In a major development that casts a shadow over recent labour market performance, the BLS also announced a substantial revision of its historical data. The revision revealed that 911,000 fewer jobs were added to the labour force in the year leading up to March 2025 than initially reported.
Political Fallout and the Path Ahead
The weakening job numbers have already triggered significant political repercussions. Following a disappointing July jobs report, former President Donald Trump fired BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer in August.
At the time, Trump made baseless claims that the official employment statistics were "rigged" to make him and the Republican party look bad.
The combination of the strong September figures, the major data revision, and the disruption to the October report creates a complex and fragmented picture for economists and policymakers. They will now have to wait until December for a clearer, consolidated view of the US employment situation as the year draws to a close.
