The U.S. added 119,000 jobs in September, the highest monthly gain this year, surpassing the average of 75,000 jobs from January to August.
However, unemployment rose to 4.4%, marking the third consecutive monthly increase, though it remains near historic lows.
Construction employment held steady, with construction wages remaining strong and weekly pay supported by consistent work hours.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its long-awaited September 2025 Employment Situation report, which had been delayed by over six weeks due to the federal government shutdown.
The report, released today, surprised many to the upside with its reading of 119,000 jobs created in September. This marks the highest job growth readings this year, considering that the average monthly job growth from January to August 2025 was just 75,000 jobs.
Meanwhile, September’s unemployment rate of 4.4% marked the third consecutive month of rising unemployment since June, when the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.1%.
Although there has been growing concern about unemployment, the current level remains close to long-run lows. Unemployment has been at or below 4.5% since October 2021. To find the last time unemployment was this low for this long, one has to go back to the late 1960s.
The report highlights mixed results across industries, with gains in health care, food services, and social assistance offset by losses in transportation, warehousing, and the federal government.
Healthcare led the way in job creation, adding 43,000 positions in September, consistent with its 12-month average. Ambulatory health care services and hospitals were the primary drivers of this growth.
Food services and drinking places also saw a notable increase, with 37,000 new jobs, while employment in social assistance rose by 14,000, driven by gains in individual and family services.
Other major industries, including construction, manufacturing, and retail trade, showed little to no change in employment levels.
On the downside, transportation and warehousing shed 25,000 jobs, with significant losses in warehousing and storage (-11,000) and couriers and messengers (-7,000).
Federal government employment continued its downward trajectory, losing 3,000 jobs in September and marking a cumulative decline of 97,000 since January.
The labor force participation rate held steady at 62.4%, showing little change over the past year.
Average hourly earnings for private nonfarm employees increased by 9 cents (0.2%) to $36.67 in September, reflecting a 3.8% year-over-year increase. Production and nonsupervisory employees saw a slightly higher wage growth of 0.3%, with average hourly earnings rising to $31.53.
The average workweek for all private-sector employees remained unchanged at 34.2 hours.
As I reported in the November Construction Economy Snapshot, earlier monthly data collected during 2025 had been very consistent in pointing to annual wage growth of approximately 4%. The release of today’s wage data reported that September’s average hourly construction wage was $40.07, very close to our previous guidance during the shutdown.
Additionally, our estimate of 39.0 hours was in fact the value reported for September. The combination of the September average hourly wage and weekly hours worked resulted in weekly construction pay of $1,563.
Stay Connected
Read the Construction Economy Snapshot for more details on construction starts, trends, and regional analysis.
At ConstructConnect, our software solutions provide the information that construction professionals need to start every project on a solid foundation. For more than 100 years, our keen insights and market intelligence have empowered commercial firms, building product manufacturers, trade contractors, and architects to make data-driven decisions, streamline preconstruction workflows, and maximize their productivity. Our newest offerings—including our comprehensive, AI-assisted software—help our clients find, bid on, and win more projects.
ConstructConnect operates as a business unit of Roper Technologies (Nasdaq: ROP), a constituent of the Nasdaq 100, S&P 500, and Fortune 1000.
For more information, visit constructconnect.com