US Jobs Report: Only 29,000 Jobs Added in September, Health Care Leads
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics says payrolls grew by just 29,000 in September 2026 with unemployment at 4.2%. Health care, construction and manufacturing added jobs.
USA| Country | USA |
|---|---|
| Organization | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) |
| Official source | BLS – The Employment Situation, September 2026 ✓ bls.gov |
US hiring stayed slow in September. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on 2 October 2026 that employers added only 29,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate held at 4.2%.
Key figures
| Measure | September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Jobs added (nonfarm payrolls) | +29,000 |
| Average monthly gain, past 12 months | +45,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% |
| Unemployed people | 7.1 million |
| Average hourly earnings | $37.81 (up 0.1% on the month, 3.0% on the year) |
Where the jobs were
- Health care: +17,000, led by outpatient care (+13,000) and hospitals (+12,000)
- Construction: +11,000
- Manufacturing: +9,000
Jobs fell in financial activities (−7,000) and in nursing and residential care facilities (−9,000).
What it means for overseas professionals
- Health care is still the strongest sector for hiring, including roles that can lead to US work visas or green cards for nurses and other clinicians.
- Overall hiring is slow, so competition for sponsored roles in other fields is likely to be tougher.
- H-1B workers should watch a new proposal that could make visa extensions harder. Read: USCIS proposes ending "deference" for H-1B and L-1 extensions.
- Apply through employers' own careers pages and be wary of anyone charging fees for a US job or visa.
Apply only through the official source.
Open official notice →TheJobSeek never charges for jobs and is not a recruitment agency. If anyone asks you to pay for a job offer or visa in the name of this article, it is a scam.
