- September’s Employment Situation Summary was released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday, October 4, 2019 -
The Unemployment Rate
The unemployment rate declined to 3.5 percent in September, and total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 136,000, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday, October 4th.
Establishment Survey Highlights
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 136,000 in September. Job growth has averaged 161,000 per month so far in 2019, compared with an average monthly gain of 223,000 in 2018.
Healthcare
Employment has also continued to trend up in health care and in professional and business services. Health care added 39,000 jobs, keeping pace with its average monthly gain over the prior 12 months. Ambulatory health care services (+29,000) and hospitals (+8,000) also added jobs.
Professional
Employment in professional and business services continued to trend up in September (+34,000). The industry added an average of 35,000 jobs per month so far in 2019 compared with 47,000 jobs per month in 2018. This
Transportation and Warehouse
Employment in transportation and warehousing edged up in September (+16,000). Job growth occurred in transit and ground passenger transportation (+11,000) and in couriers and messengers (+4,000).
Other Major Industries
Employment in other major industries, including mining, construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, information, financial activities, and leisure and hospitality, showed little change over the month.
Average Hourly Earnings
In September, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls, at $28.09, were essentially stagnant (-1 cent), after rising by 11 cents in August. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 2.9 percent. In September, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees rose by 4 cents to $23.65.