The September jobs report is finally here, opening a long-awaited window into the U.S. labor market
NBC1 day
Delayed September Jobs Report: US Added 119,000 Jobs, Unemployment Rose
The U.S. economy added 119,000 jobs in September, but unemployment rose to 4.4%. Is America's economy beating expectations with thriving consumer businesses or deteriorating with rising unemployment and flat growth?
Above: Job seekers wait to enter the SacJobs Career job fair in Sacramento, California. Image credit: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The Spin
Republican narrative
The September jobs report shows America's economy beating expectations and proving economists wrong. Consumer-facing businesses are thriving, with restaurants and healthcare leading growth. Wages rose 3.8% annually, outpacing inflation and putting more money in workers' pockets. President Trump's policies — including shrinking the federal government — are working.
Democratic narrative
The delayed jobs report revealed a deteriorating economy with high unemployment. Meanwhile, August's numbers were revised to show actual job losses and October's report has been cancelled possibly because the numbers will reveal Trump's policies aren't working as well as the White House claims. Job creation has been flat since April despite misleading headlines.