Jobs report blows past expectations, defying hiring slowdown

Employers hired far more workers than expected in September, defying a sharp slowdown over the summer that appeared to cool off the labor market.

The U.S. added 119,000 jobs in September, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That figure marked an acceleration from 22,000 jobs added in the previous month, and it exceeded an average of nearly 100,000 jobs added per month over the first half of 2025.

The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.4%, but it remained at a historically low level.

A stock market selloff over recent days underscored the uncertainty looming over the economy as some investors warned of an AI bubble. Blockbuster earnings unveiled by chip giant Nvidia late Wednesday, however, appeared to defy such concerns.

Still, mass layoffs at corporate giants