The U.S. unemployment rate rose in September, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Released on Friday, the data showed that only 29,000 new jobs were added last month, bringing the year-to-date total to 612,000. The lack of new jobs stood in stark contrast to the hiring rate in August which had an additional 133,000 jobs created.
The unemployment rate is now up to 4.2%.
September recorded the third-worst month for hiring, behind only February and July. February saw the loss of 156,000 jobs due to cuts in federal departments, while July similarly recorded job losses due to cuts among school teaching staff.
The hiring gains were primarily in the healthcare sector, which added 17,000 jobs. The other sectors reported little to no change.
In the job report, Black Americans were also found to be amongst those most affected by the state of the job market in September. The unemployment rate for Black Americans jumped up to 7%. That rate is a full percentage point above the unemployment rate recorded in August and about double that of white Americans. Currently, white Americans have a 3.6% unemployment rate.
In an official release, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley once again called for federal action to be taken to address the lack of employment for Black Americans.
“The state of our economy is failing Black workers, families, and futures – and this is a damning reminder of that,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “We need federal action to address this crisis. Secretary Bessent must release the report on the impact of Black unemployment, and the Federal Reserve must do its jobs to maximize employment for all.”
Black women specifically are amongst those most impacted by the job market. The unemployment rate for Black women jumped up by approximately 1.2% last month despite more women joining the labor market this year.
Since the beginning of 2025, fewer women overall have been actively part of the job market.
To address the experiences of Black women in employment, economic development and other sectors, a group of representatives introduced a bill in 2024, calling for the development of an independent task force. The task force would study the societal effects on Black women and develop ways to reduce the problems they face.
Since then, Congresswoman Pressley has also introduced bills such as the Better Labor Statistics Act, which aims to increase transparency about unemployment rates in the U.S., and called for the Federal Reserve to fulfill its promises to guarantee employment for all Americans.
“With Black folks being pushed out of the workforce and unemployment rates at their highest since the COVID-19 pandemic, we need a Federal Job Guarantee now more than ever,” said Congresswoman Pressley in a statement.
“A federal job guarantee is a central and unfulfilled demand of the civil rights movement and I’m proud to stand on the shoulders of civil rights icons like Coretta Scott King and Sadie Alexander to keep pushing for this historic resolution, which would support working families of every background, help America reach full employment, and help achieve long-term economic security for all.”
