US jobs report: next release, payrolls and unemployment
The Employment Situation report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: payroll growth, the unemployment rate and average hourly earnings for the latest month and the past year, and the next release dates (8:30 AM ET).
Updated
Latest: Sep 2026
- Nonfarm payrolls, monthly change
- +29K (preliminary)
- Unemployment rate
- 4.2%
- Average hourly earnings, 12-month change
- 3.0%
- Average hourly earnings, monthly change
- +0.1%
Next jobs report releases
- Friday 8:30 AM ET
- Friday 8:30 AM ET
| Month | Payrolls | Unemployment | Wages, month | Wages, 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2026 | +29K P | 4.2% | +0.1% | 3.0% |
| Aug 2026 | +133K P | 4.1% | +0.3% | 3.1% |
| Jul 2026 | −10K | 4.1% | +0.1% | 3.2% |
| Jun 2026 | +31K | 4.2% | +0.3% | 3.4% |
| May 2026 | +63K | 4.3% | +0.2% | 3.3% |
| Apr 2026 | +148K | 4.3% | +0.2% | 3.6% |
| Mar 2026 | +214K | 4.3% | +0.2% | 3.4% |
| Feb 2026 | −156K | 4.4% | +0.3% | 3.7% |
| Jan 2026 | +160K | 4.3% | +0.4% | 3.7% |
| Dec 2025 | −17K | 4.4% | +0.1% | 3.7% |
| Nov 2025 | +41K | 4.5% | +0.4% | 3.9% |
| Oct 2025 | −140K | — | +0.4% | 3.9% |
| Sep 2025 | +76K | 4.4% | +0.2% | 3.8% |
What the jobs report measures and why markets watch it
The Employment Situation report, known as the jobs report, usually comes out on the first Friday of the month at 8:30 AM ET and covers the month before. It combines two surveys: a survey of employers, which gives nonfarm payrolls and average hourly earnings, and a survey of households, which gives the unemployment rate.
Nonfarm payrolls is the change in the number of paid jobs outside farming, private households and a few other groups. The first estimate for a month is preliminary: BLS revises it in each of the next two reports as more employers respond, and once a year it benchmarks the series to fuller records, which can move past months noticeably.
Markets compare the figures with expectations and with the revisions. Strong hiring and fast wage growth can raise expectations for higher interest rates, while weak numbers can do the opposite; how stocks respond depends on what investors were already pricing in.
Like CPI, the jobs report is an event-risk morning for swing traders: know the date, think twice before entering just ahead of it, and keep position size within the risk planned for a gap at the open.
Frequently asked questions
When is the next jobs report?
The next jobs report is scheduled for Fri, Nov 6, 2026, 8:30 AM ET. BLS usually releases it on the first Friday of the month at 8:30 AM Eastern Time; holidays and the calendar can move it. Later dates are listed at the top of this page.
What does nonfarm payrolls mean?
It is the monthly change in the number of paid employees in the US economy, excluding farm workers, private household employees, the self-employed and a few other groups, from BLS’s survey of employers.
Why do the payroll numbers change after they are released?
The first estimate is based on the employer responses received by then. BLS revises each month twice as more responses arrive and benchmarks the series once a year, so earlier months can change.
Why can the unemployment rate move differently from payrolls?
They come from different surveys. Payrolls count jobs reported by employers; the unemployment rate comes from a survey of households and also reflects people entering or leaving the labor force.
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