Jobs Growth Mediocre In September As Foodservice Jobs Shrink

Nonfarm payrolls grew by a sluggish 148,000 jobs in September, according to the delayed federal employment report, released Oct. 22. Private-sector jobs growth was 126,000. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which produces the reports, revised jobs growth downward for July, but boosted it for August, leading to a 9,000 job gain over previous reports. The unemployment rate fell slightly to 7.2%, as workforce participation continued to slowly decline.

One notable statistic in the report was a decline by 7,100 of foodservice and drinking-place jobs, the first decline in such jobs since February 2010, when the industry was just beginning to recover from the Great Recession. For the third quarter, foodservice and drinking places added 27,000 net new jobs, down substantially from the 112,000 jobs added in the second quarter and the smallest gain since the first quarter 2010.

One segment helping boost the numbers in September was government, which added 22,000 new jobs, mostly in local government. Education jobs also rose. It was the second consecutive month of gains in both segments, which had been negative for some three years.