The US economy added 29K nonfarm payroll jobs in September 2026, well below the 90K forecast and the downwardly revised 133K increase recorded in August. The unemployment rate rose to 4.2%, above the 4.1% consensus, while average hourly earnings increased 0.1% from the previous month and 3% from a year earlier, below forecasts of 0.3% and 3.2%, respectively. Health care employment rose 17K, led by ambulatory health care services at 13K and hospitals at 12K. Construction added 11K jobs, while manufacturing increased 9K, including gains of 5K in plastics and rubber products and 5K in machinery. Financial activities lost 7K jobs. Employment changed little across mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; wholesale trade; retail trade; transportation and warehousing; information; professional and business services; social assistance; leisure and hospitality; other services; and government. July payroll growth was revised down by 31K to a 10K decline, while August growth was revised down by 29K to 133K, reducing combined employment gains for July and August by 60K from earlier estimates. Before the report, Fed futures priced in a 23% chance of a 25-basis-point rate hike this month.