Commissioner's Statement on the Employment Situation News Release — 2018-10-05

Advance copies of this statement are made available to the press under lock-up conditions with the explicit understanding that the data are embargoed until 8:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The unemployment rate declined to 3.7 percent in September, and nonfarm payroll employment increased by 134,000. Job gains occurred in professional and business services, in health care, and in transportation and warehousing. Incorporating revisions for July and August, which increased nonfarm payroll employment by 87,000, monthly job gains have averaged 190,000 over the past 3 months. Hurricane Florence made landfall on the East Coast on September 14--during the reference period for both the establishment and household surveys--causing large-scale evacuations and severe damage to many homes and businesses. Response rates for the two surveys were within normal ranges. It is possible that payroll employment in some industries was affected by the hurricane; however, it is not possible to quantify the net effect on employment.