American employers added 254,000 jobs last month in the penultimate jobs report before the US election, defying fears of a slowdown in the labor market.
Job creation unexpectedly accelerated in September, while the headline unemployment rate slipped to 4.1% from 4.2% in August.
Economists had forecast a non-farm payrolls reading of around 132,500 for September, after a cooler summer of employment growth.
Hiring instead rose sharply from recent months. In August employers added 159,000 jobs, and in July, they added 144,000.
Both estimates for July and August were revised higher by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday – adding 72,000 more jobs than previously reported – highlighting the strength of the labor market.
September’s unexpectedly robust data could set the stage for a more complex picture of the US labor market this month after Hurricane Helene devastated parts of the south-east, Boeing was hit with a sweeping strike, and tens of thousands of port workers across the east and Gulf coasts staged a strike this week. The ports strike ended on Thursday night.
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