September Jobs Report Set to Test Fed's Labor Market View

The upcoming September jobs report is set to test the Federal Reserve's assessment of labor market stability. The report, scheduled for release on Friday, October 2 at 8:30 a.m. ET (12:30 p.m. UTC), will provide markets with another reading on hiring conditions.

Payroll estimates range from 84,000 to 95,000, and all cited forecasts put the unemployment rate at 4.1%. In August, payrolls increased by 162,000, while revisions added a combined 55,000 jobs to June and July.

The report will also include wage data, offering another measure of labor-market conditions. A result near the forecasts would fit the recent picture of steady but moderate job growth, while a substantial surprise could shift that assessment.