US Jobs Report: Latest Numbers and Release Dates

Data updated Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

This page tracks the official US jobs report, the monthly Employment Situation release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Every number below is pulled from the BLS data service and updates automatically after each release.

According to the BLS Employment Situation report for September 2026, total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 29,000 to 159.0 million (preliminary). The unemployment rate was 4.2% in September 2026. Average hourly earnings of private employees were $37.81, 3.0% higher than a year earlier. The labor force participation rate was 61.8% and the U-6 underemployment rate was 7.6%. The next jobs report is due on November 6, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Generated automatically from official BLS data; updated when new figures are published.



Monthly change in nonfarm payrolls
+29,000
Sep 2026 (preliminary) · Aug 2026: +133,000
Unemployment rate
4.2%
Sep 2026 · +0.1 pts vs Aug 2026
Wage growth (average hourly earnings, 12-month change)
+3.0%
Sep 2026 (preliminary) · Aug 2026: +3.1%
U-6 underemployment rate
7.6%
Sep 2026 · -0.1 pts vs Aug 2026
Labor force participation rate
61.8%
Sep 2026 · +0.2 pts vs Aug 2026
Employment-to-population ratio
59.2%
Sep 2026 · +0.1 pts vs Aug 2026

Next Employment Situation (jobs report): Friday, November 6, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. ET (data for October 2026). Source: BLS release schedule.

How many jobs did the US economy add last month?

The headline number in the jobs report is the monthly change in nonfarm payroll employment. Blue bars are gains, red bars are losses, and lighter bars are preliminary estimates that the BLS will revise.

Monthly change in nonfarm payrolls

Month-over-month change in seasonally adjusted total nonfarm employment, in thousands. Latest data point: Sep 2026 (preliminary). This chart updates automatically when the BLS publishes new figures. Source: BLS, Current Employment Statistics.

View the data table
PeriodThousand jobs
Sep 202629 (p)
Aug 2026133 (p)
Jul 2026-10
Jun 202631
May 202663
Apr 2026148
Mar 2026214
Feb 2026-156
Jan 2026160
Dec 2025-17
Nov 202541
Oct 2025-140
Sep 202576
Aug 2025-70
Jul 202564
Jun 2025-20
May 202513
Apr 2025108
Mar 202567
Feb 202542
Jan 2025-48
Dec 2024237
Nov 2024134
Oct 202433

How much were the last jobs reports revised?

Each monthly job number is an estimate. The BLS revises it in the next two reports as more employers respond, and revisions can change the picture of the job market. This table compares the latest estimate for each month with the first one published.

Monthly job gains and revisions, last six months
MonthLatest estimateFirst estimate we recordedRevision
September 2026+29K (preliminary)+29K0K
August 2026+133K (preliminary)+133K0K
July 2026-10K-10K0K
June 2026+31K--
May 2026+63K--
April 2026+148K--

Change in seasonally adjusted nonfarm payrolls, in thousands. The BLS revises each month twice, in the next two jobs reports, and again in the annual benchmark. We record the first estimate we see after each release, starting in October 2026, so older months show only the latest estimate. Source: BLS, Current Employment Statistics.

Which industries are adding and losing jobs?

Payroll employment by industry shows where the job gains are concentrated. Health care and government have driven much of the hiring in recent years, while sectors such as manufacturing and information are more sensitive to the business cycle.

US jobs by industry, September 2026 (preliminary)
IndustryJobs1-month change12-month change12-month %
Health care and social assistance23,958,600+23,000+520,400+2.2%
Government23,327,000-17,000-216,000-0.9%
Professional and business services22,482,000-9,000+123,000+0.6%
Leisure and hospitality16,969,000+10,000+62,000+0.4%
Retail trade15,479,900+5,800+26,500+0.2%
Manufacturing12,652,000+9,000+40,000+0.3%
Financial activities9,082,000-7,000-107,000-1.2%
Construction8,364,000+11,000+109,000+1.3%
Transportation and warehousing6,608,700+7,600-9,800-0.1%
Wholesale trade6,078,300+5,000+26,500+0.4%
Other services6,039,000+6,000+34,000+0.6%
Private educational services4,046,400-3,200-3,900-0.1%
Information2,739,000-10,000-120,000-4.2%
Mining and logging607,000-2,000+2,000+0.3%

Seasonally adjusted payroll employment. Updates automatically when the BLS publishes new figures. Source: BLS, Current Employment Statistics.

For more detail by industry, see our US jobs statistics by industry. For company layoffs, see the Tech Layoff Tracker and today’s WARN notices.

What is the US unemployment rate?

The unemployment rate comes from the household survey and measures the share of the labor force that is jobless and looking for work.

Unemployment rate

Seasonally adjusted unemployment rate, civilians 16 and over. Latest data point: Sep 2026. This chart updates automatically when the BLS publishes new figures. Source: BLS, Current Population Survey.

View the data table
PeriodPercent
Sep 20264.2
Aug 20264.1
Jul 20264.1
Jun 20264.2
May 20264.3
Apr 20264.3
Mar 20264.3
Feb 20264.4
Jan 20264.3
Dec 20254.4
Nov 20254.5
Sep 20254.4
Aug 20254.3
Jul 20254.3
Jun 20254.1
May 20254.3
Apr 20254.2
Mar 20254.2
Feb 20254.2
Jan 20254.0
Dec 20244.1
Nov 20244.2
Oct 20244.1
Sep 20244.1

Underemployment: the U-6 rate

The U-6 rate adds people who have given up looking but still want a job and part-time workers who would prefer full-time hours. It is the broadest official measure of labor underutilization.

U-6 underemployment rate

Unemployed, plus people marginally attached to the labor force and those working part time for economic reasons, as a share of the labor force plus all marginally attached workers. Seasonally adjusted. Latest data point: Sep 2026. This chart updates automatically when the BLS publishes new figures. Source: BLS, Current Population Survey.

View the data table
PeriodPercent
Sep 20267.6
Aug 20267.7
Jul 20267.9
Jun 20267.9
May 20268.1
Apr 20268.2
Mar 20268.0
Feb 20267.9
Jan 20268.1
Dec 20258.4
Nov 20258.7
Sep 20258.1
Aug 20258.1
Jul 20257.9
Jun 20257.7
May 20257.8
Apr 20257.8
Mar 20257.9
Feb 20258.0
Jan 20257.5
Dec 20247.6
Nov 20247.7
Oct 20247.7
Sep 20247.7

Unemployment rate by race, age and education

The national rate hides large differences between groups. Unemployment is usually higher for Black workers, young people and those without a high school diploma, and lowest for college graduates. The table also shows how long people stay unemployed.

Unemployment rate by group, September 2026
GroupLatestMonth beforeYear agoChange in a year
Race and ethnicity
White3.6%3.7%3.7%-0.1 pts
Black or African American7.0%6.0%7.6%-0.6 pts
Hispanic or Latino4.7%4.8%5.5%-0.8 pts
Asian2.9%3.2%4.3%-1.4 pts
Sex and age
Men, 20 and over3.9%4.0%4.1%-0.2 pts
Women, 20 and over3.6%3.5%4.1%-0.5 pts
Teenagers, 16 to 1914.5%14.1%13.3%+1.2 pts
Young adults, 16 to 249.9%9.1%10.4%-0.5 pts
55 and over2.6%3.0%3.2%-0.6 pts
Education (25 and over)
Less than a high school diploma4.3%4.7%6.8%-2.5 pts
High school graduates, no college4.4%4.4%4.2%+0.2 pts
Some college or associate degree3.6%3.7%3.4%+0.2 pts
Bachelor's degree and higher2.5%2.7%2.8%-0.3 pts
Duration
Long-term unemployed (27 weeks or more), share of unemployed27.1%27.0%23.6%+3.5 pts
Median weeks unemployed11.511.410.1+1.4
Part time for economic reasons (thousands)4,5014,3904,594-93

Seasonally adjusted unemployment rates from the household survey (Current Population Survey). Groups by race and ethnicity overlap, because Hispanic people can be of any race. Updates automatically after each jobs report. Source: BLS, Current Population Survey.

Labor force participation and the employment-to-population ratio

The unemployment rate only counts people in the labor force. The participation rate and the employment-to-population ratio show how many adults are working or looking for work at all.

Labor force participation rate

Share of the civilian population 16 and over that is working or looking for work. Seasonally adjusted. Latest data point: Sep 2026. This chart updates automatically when the BLS publishes new figures. Source: BLS, Current Population Survey.

View the data table
PeriodPercent
Sep 202661.8
Aug 202661.6
Jul 202661.4
Jun 202661.5
May 202661.8
Apr 202661.8
Mar 202661.9
Feb 202662.0
Jan 202662.1
Dec 202562.4
Nov 202562.5
Sep 202562.5
Aug 202562.3
Jul 202562.2
Jun 202562.3
May 202562.4
Apr 202562.6
Mar 202562.5
Feb 202562.5
Jan 202562.6
Dec 202462.5
Nov 202462.4
Oct 202462.5
Sep 202462.7

Employment-to-population ratio

Share of the civilian population 16 and over that has a job. Seasonally adjusted. Latest data point: Sep 2026. This chart updates automatically when the BLS publishes new figures. Source: BLS, Current Population Survey.

View the data table
PeriodPercent
Sep 202659.2
Aug 202659.1
Jul 202658.9
Jun 202659.0
May 202659.2
Apr 202659.1
Mar 202659.2
Feb 202659.3
Jan 202659.4
Dec 202559.7
Nov 202559.6
Sep 202559.7
Aug 202559.6
Jul 202559.6
Jun 202559.7
May 202559.7
Apr 202560.0
Mar 202559.9
Feb 202559.9
Jan 202560.1
Dec 202459.9
Nov 202459.8
Oct 202460.0
Sep 202460.1

Are wages growing faster than inflation?

Average hourly earnings show what private-sector employees are paid per hour. Real wage growth adjusts that figure for inflation: when it is below zero, pay is rising more slowly than prices.

Wage growth (average hourly earnings, 12-month change)

Percent change in average hourly earnings of private employees from the same month a year earlier. Latest data point: Sep 2026 (preliminary). This chart updates automatically when the BLS publishes new figures. Source: BLS, Current Employment Statistics.

View the data table
PeriodPercent change
Sep 20263.0 (p)
Aug 20263.1 (p)
Jul 20263.2
Jun 20263.4
May 20263.3
Apr 20263.6
Mar 20263.4
Feb 20263.7
Jan 20263.7
Dec 20253.7
Nov 20253.9
Oct 20253.9
Sep 20253.8
Aug 20254.0
Jul 20254.0
Jun 20253.9
May 20254.0
Apr 20253.9
Mar 20254.2
Feb 20254.1
Jan 20254.0
Dec 20244.1
Nov 20244.2
Oct 20244.0

Real wage growth (12-month change)

Percent change in real average hourly earnings (adjusted for inflation, 1982-84 dollars) of private employees from the same month a year earlier. Latest data point: Sep 2026 (preliminary). This chart updates automatically when the BLS publishes new figures. Source: BLS, Real Earnings.

View the data table
PeriodPercent change
Sep 2026-0.7 (p)
Aug 2026-0.3 (p)
Jul 2026-0.1
Jun 2026-0.1
May 2026-0.8
Apr 2026-0.3
Mar 20260.2
Feb 20261.2
Jan 20261.2
Dec 20251.0
Nov 20251.2
Sep 20250.8
Aug 20251.1
Jul 20251.2
Jun 20251.2
May 20251.6
Apr 20251.6
Mar 20251.8
Feb 20251.3
Jan 20251.0
Dec 20241.2
Nov 20241.4
Oct 20241.4
Sep 20241.4

The Employment Cost Index (ECI) is a quarterly measure of total compensation, including benefits, and is less affected by changes in the mix of jobs than average hourly earnings.

Employment Cost Index, 12-month change

Twelve-month percent change in total compensation costs for civilian workers, quarterly. Latest data point: Q2 2026. This chart updates automatically when the BLS publishes new figures. Source: BLS, Employment Cost Index.

View the data table
PeriodPercent change
Q2 20263.4
Q1 20263.4
Q4 20253.4
Q3 20253.5
Q2 20253.6
Q1 20253.6
Q4 20243.8
Q3 20243.9
Q2 20244.1
Q1 20244.2
Q4 20234.2
Q3 20234.3
Q2 20234.5
Q1 20234.8
Q4 20225.1
Q3 20225.0
Q2 20225.1
Q1 20224.5

Jobs report release dates for 2026

Next Employment Situation (jobs report): Friday, November 6, 2026 at 8:30 a.m. ET (data for October 2026). Source: BLS release schedule.

Data forRelease dateTime (ET)
December 2025Fri, Jan 9, 20268:30 a.m.
January 2026Wed, Feb 11, 20268:30 a.m.
February 2026Fri, Mar 6, 20268:30 a.m.
March 2026Fri, Apr 3, 20268:30 a.m.
April 2026Fri, May 8, 20268:30 a.m.
May 2026Fri, Jun 5, 20268:30 a.m.
June 2026Thu, Jul 2, 20268:30 a.m.
July 2026Fri, Aug 7, 20268:30 a.m.
August 2026Fri, Sep 4, 20268:30 a.m.
September 2026Fri, Oct 2, 20268:30 a.m.
October 2026Fri, Nov 6, 20268:30 a.m.
November 2026Fri, Dec 4, 20268:30 a.m.

More US labor market data

Jobs Report FAQ

When is the US jobs report released?

The BLS publishes the Employment Situation report at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time, usually on a Friday early in the month. It is not always a Friday: in 2026 the January report came out on a Wednesday (February 11) and the June report on a Thursday (July 2). The next date is shown at the top of this page.

What are nonfarm payrolls?

Nonfarm payrolls are the number of paid jobs at US businesses and government agencies, excluding farm workers, private household employees and a few other groups. The figure comes from the BLS establishment survey, and the headline number is the change from the previous month.

What is the difference between the unemployment rate and U-6?

The official unemployment rate (U-3) counts people without a job who are available and looking for work. U-6 is broader: it also counts people marginally attached to the labor force and part-time workers who want full-time work, so it is always higher.

Why are some numbers marked preliminary?

The first estimate of payroll employment is based on incomplete survey responses. The BLS revises it in the following months as more data comes in, and the charts on this page mark the latest estimates as preliminary.

Why do jobs report numbers get revised?

The first payroll estimate is based on the employers that have responded to the BLS survey by the release date. As more responses arrive, the BLS revises each month in the following two reports, and once a year it benchmarks the data to tax records. Revisions of tens of thousands of jobs are normal.

Which groups have the highest unemployment rate?

Teenagers and young adults have the highest unemployment rates, followed by Black workers and people without a high school diploma. College graduates have the lowest. The table on this page shows the latest rate for each group and how it has changed in a year.

How often is this page updated?

The numbers and charts read the official BLS data directly and refresh automatically within hours of each release, so you do not need to wait for an article to be written.

Sources


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