The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ just-published September 2025 jobs report–delayed due to the government shutdown that postponed its release by six weeks–offers an outdated snapshot of the country’s labor-and-employment activity for that month.
Published on November 20, 2025, the report shows the economy added 119,000 jobs, more than double the expected 50,000, while the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.4%, the highest it has been since 2021.
The healthcare sector led in job growth again with 43,000 jobs added, followed by restaurants and bars (+37,000) and construction (+19,000), while transportation and warehousing lost 25,000 jobs.
The August numbers were revised to a net loss of 4,000 jobs, underscoring recent volatility.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics on November 19, 2025 announced that it will not publish an October 2025 jobs report, which would have originally been released this month. Instead, the agency will include select October data in the November report, scheduled for release on December 16.