The unemployment rate in the United States rose in September, despite employment figures beating analysts' expectations, according to a delayed report released today following a record-long government shutdown. The world's largest economy added 119,000 jobs in September, an increase from August, but the unemployment rate rose from 4.3% to 4.4%, the Labor Department reported. The last similar report was released in early September, meaning today's report is the first official glimpse of the overall labor market situation in over two months. It also means the data is not recent, as it pertains to a time when the main labor market was weakening due to federal job losses and successive waves of tariffs. Nevertheless, the report will impact the Federal Reserve as policymakers decide whether to cut interest rates for a third consecutive time during their upcoming meeting on monetary policy, anticipated in December. A slowdown in the job market would push the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates more in hopes of boosting the economy, but officials are also trying to control inflation. The Labor Department report showed that the employment situation was worse than August forecasts had indicated, with the economy losing 4,000 jobs instead of posting gains.
