September Jobs Report Shows ‘Weakening’ Labor Market, Experts Warn

According to the Center for American Progress, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report reveals a weakening economy brought on by President Donald Trump’s tariff policies and historic cuts to healthcare and social services.

A little more than a month after its scheduled release date of Oct. 3, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) September jobs report was released after the longest government shutdown in history.

While the U.S. added 119,000 jobs in September, the report, released Thursday, paints a grim picture and shows signs of a weakening labor market.

The unemployment rate jumped to 4.4% in September, up from 4.3% and the pace of wage growth slowed. This comes as no surprise to economists following a series of layoffs from high-profile companies. Amazon, General Motors, IBM, Microsoft, Paramount, Target, UPS, and Verizon all announced plans to lay off tens of thousands of people.

Roughly 39,000 workers received layoff notices in October, according to data from the Cleveland Federal Reserve. Another report from the research firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas counted 153,000 job cuts in October.

According to NBC News, unemployed people are having a harder time finding jobs. On average, it takes nearly six months to find employment, the worst reading since November 2017. As the American Progress Center notes, women of color are hurt the most, as it takes them longer to find a job.

Jobs Hurt By Tariff Polices, Historic Cuts

According to the Center for American Progress, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report reveals a weakening economy brought on by President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, the “slash-and-burn” of the federal government, and historic cuts to healthcare and social services.

“The resulting uncertainty for employers has led to a hiring slowdown and some to turn to layoffs,” the center said in a news release.

Unfortunately, the longer people are unemployed, the greater the risk of losing support. In at least 16 states, unemployment insurance benefits end before the standard 26 weeks.

“This is especially concerning for women of color, who are more likely to live in states with shorter time windows, as they are far more likely to be primary breadwinners and provide income that is vital to their families’ economic security,” the Center for American Progress notes.

Jobs data collected for October will be released on Dec. 16 as part of the full report covering November, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced.