Quick answer: The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has scheduled the September 2026 Employment Situation for Friday, October 2, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time (EDT), or 9:30 p.m. Korea Standard Time. As of September 25, the September payroll and unemployment results have not been published. This guide gives the confirmed time, latest official baseline, and a release-day checklist—not a market forecast.
When is the September 2026 jobs report?
| Item | Confirmed detail |
|---|---|
| Report | Employment Situation for September 2026 |
| Date | Friday, October 2, 2026 |
| Time | 8:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time |
| Korea time | 9:30 p.m. KST, Friday, October 2 |
| Publisher | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |
The date and time are confirmed on the BLS Employment Situation release schedule. The report covers September; it is not a real-time count of jobs created in the first days of October.
What is the latest official jobs baseline?
The latest published Employment Situation covers August 2026. BLS reported nonfarm payrolls up 162,000 and the unemployment rate unchanged at 4.1%. Average hourly earnings for private nonfarm employees rose 0.3% over the month to $37.75 and were 3.1% higher than a year earlier. The average workweek edged up to 34.4 hours.
| August 2026 measure | Latest reading | What to verify next |
|---|---|---|
| Nonfarm payrolls | +162,000 | Headline estimate from the establishment survey |
| Unemployment rate | 4.1% | Household-survey measure; it can move differently from payrolls |
| Average hourly earnings | $37.75; +0.3% monthly, +3.1% yearly | Nominal wage growth, not a direct measure of consumer inflation |
| Average workweek | 34.4 hours | Hours add context to payroll and wage changes |
| June–July revisions | +55,000 combined | June revised to +31,000; July to +21,000 |
These are August readings, not forecasts for September. The BLS August 2026 release says August payroll growth exceeded the prior 12-month average monthly gain of 31,000; revisions raised the combined June–July estimate by 55,000. See our August jobs report analysis for the prior-month context.
Six checks to make when the report is released
- Payrolls and revisions: Record September’s estimate and revised July and August figures. A new headline can look different after revisions.
- Unemployment and participation: Read the unemployment rate with labor-force participation and the employment-population ratio. The rate alone does not describe who is working or looking for work.
- Wages and hours: Check average hourly earnings and the average workweek together. Neither one by itself proves inflation is accelerating or easing.
- Industry mix: Identify which industries account for gains or losses. Concentrated growth is different from broad-based hiring.
- Two surveys: Payrolls come from the establishment survey; unemployment and participation come from the household survey. They measure related but different things and may diverge in a given month.
- Data vintage: Treat the first estimate as preliminary. Use the latest BLS tables when updating charts and comparisons.
How this report fits with JOLTS and the Fed
The Employment Situation is one part of the labor-market picture. Our August JOLTS report guide covers openings, hires, quits, and layoffs; it is scheduled for September 29. JOLTS describes labor demand and turnover, while the jobs report measures payrolls, unemployment, hours, and earnings. They are complementary releases, not interchangeable numbers.
Labor data can shape how investors assess the economic outlook and interest-rate expectations, but one release does not dictate the Federal Reserve’s next decision or guarantee a particular stock or Treasury move. Reactions depend on expectations and the details across the report. Compare labor evidence with inflation and spending data; do not turn one monthly estimate into an investment instruction.
Release-day checklist
- Open the BLS release and record the publication time and reference month.
- Label each figure as a published result, a revision, or an interpretation.
- Check payrolls, unemployment, participation, wages, hours, industry detail, and revisions.
- Keep the August baseline separate from September’s new result.
- Update charts using the current BLS data vintage and link to the source tables.
Bottom line
The September 2026 U.S. jobs report is scheduled for October 2 at 8:30 a.m. ET. The last official baseline is August’s 162,000 payroll gain and 4.1% unemployment rate, alongside 3.1% annual wage growth and upward June–July revisions. September’s figures are not yet known. On release day, the useful read is the full set—payrolls, revisions, unemployment, participation, wages, hours, and industry mix—not the headline alone.
Primary sources
Last reviewed September 25, 2026. This is general economic information, not individualized investment advice. Verify the BLS schedule on release day.