In a long-awaited release delayed nearly seven weeks by the historic 43-day government shutdown, the U.S. Labor Department reported on November 20, 2025, that nonfarm payrolls surged by a seasonally adjusted 119,000 jobs in September—the strongest monthly gain since April and far exceeding economists’ subdued forecasts of around 50,000. This rebound came after a dismal summer, with August revised to show a net loss of 4,000 jobs and prior months shaved by a combined 33,000 positions, highlighting a labor market that appeared on the brink before snapping back. Gains were concentrated in health care and social assistance (adding over 57,000 jobs), food services, and private-sector hiring, offering a pre-shutdown snapshot of resilience amid broader economic uncertainties.

The unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 4.4%—its highest since October 2021—driven not by mass layoffs but by nearly 470,000 Americans re-entering the workforce, many of whom hadn’t yet secured positions. Wage growth cooled to 0.2% monthly and 3.8% annually, easing inflationary pressures while losses hit transportation, warehousing, and a shrinking federal government sector amid ongoing efficiency drives. Though backward-looking, the data reassured markets and policymakers that the job market hadn’t collapsed heading into the shutdown, boosting stocks and fueling optimism that President Trump’s aggressive policies were stabilizing employment without overheating the economy.

This overdue report underscores the shutdown’s disruptive toll on economic transparency, with October’s full jobs data scrapped entirely and November’s delayed until mid-December—forcing the Federal Reserve and investors to rely on private indicators during a critical period. Yet the solid September figures validate the administration’s focus on deregulation and immigration controls, which have tightened labor supply and kept job growth positive even as population-driven needs drop to just 30,000-50,000 monthly additions. As America emerges from the data blackout stronger than feared, these numbers signal that Trump-era reforms are delivering a more sustainable, America First labor market ready for the challenges ahead.