Thursday’s jobs report added to mounting evidence that the U.S. labor market is losing steam.
The September report, compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), found that employment in July and August was overstated by 33,000.
Job creation in July was revised down by 7,000 from a gain of 79,000 to 72,000 and job gains in August were lowered by 26,000 from a gain of 22,000 to a loss of 4,000.
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Originally slated for release on Oct. 3, the September jobs report was postponed amid the nation’s longest government shutdown, which temporarily furloughed BLS staff.
According to the report, federal employment has declined by 97,000 since its January peak. The BLS clarified that workers on paid leave or receiving severance remain classified as employed in its establishment survey.
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The weaker jobs picture is mirrored in how Americans see the economy.
According to a fresh Fox News national survey, 76% of voters rate the economy negatively, compared with 67% in July and 70% at the close of former President Joe Biden’s tenure.
Voters largely blame President Donald Trump for the downturn, with about twice as many holding him responsible for the current economy as former President Joe Biden, and three times as many saying his policies have hurt them personally.
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At the same time, approval of Trump’s handling of the economy has dropped to a new low, while disapproval of his overall job performance has climbed to record highs, even among some of his core supporters.
Still, Trump has put the economy at the heart of his second term, pointing to tax cuts, deregulation, energy expansion and foreign investment as proof his policies are working.
That narrative was tested in August, when he abruptly dismissed the agency’s commissioner, Erika McEntarfer. Her removal came hours after the agency released new data showing that job growth had been significantly overstated.
The bureau revised its May and June figures downward by 258,000 jobs, marking an unusually large correction that drew sharp criticism from Trump.
“In my opinion, today’s Jobs Numbers were RIGGED in order to make the Republicans, and ME, look bad,” Trump wrote in an Aug. 1 Truth Social post.
The clash over those numbers comes as the BLS is still digging out from the shutdown.
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Labor said that the October jobs report won’t be released on a standalone basis, as the agency’s workers were unable to compile a key portion of the report during the government shutdown.
The delay means voters and markets will have to wait until December for a clearer picture of the job market’s direction.
Fox Business’ Eric Revell contributed to this report.
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