September adds 29,000 jobs as unemployment rises

September’s employment picture

The economy added 29,000 jobs in September, while the unemployment rate moved higher. The jobs figure represents employment added during the month, not the total number of people working.

Together, the figures show that employment continued to grow in September even as unemployment increased. The report places the number of jobs added and the unemployment rate side by side, offering two measures of the labor market shortly before voters decide control of Congress.

The report does not determine the election outcome. It gives voters a final scheduled update on jobs and unemployment before Election Day, placing the economy and employment in focus during the closing stage of the campaign.

Why the timing matters

Friday’s release is the last jobs report set to come out before the Nov. 3 elections. Those elections will determine whether President Donald Trump’s Republican Party maintains full control of Congress.

That timing makes the September figures the final monthly employment numbers voters will receive before casting ballots. The 29,000 jobs added and the rise in unemployment provide the last pre-election reading of these two measures, rather than a direct measure of voter views or congressional support.

Control of Congress will be decided through the Nov. 3 elections. The jobs report is an economic update that arrives before that decision, giving the September employment figures a prominent place in the final weeks of the election calendar.