Employment Report: 254K Jobs Added in September, Well Above Expectations

The latest employment report showed 254,000 jobs were added in September, well above forecasts of the expected addition of 147,000 new jobs. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate ticked lower to 4.1%.

Here is an excerpt from the Employment Situation Summary released this morning by the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 254,000 in September, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment continued to trend up in food services and drinking places, health care, government, social assistance, and construction.

Here is a snapshot of the monthly change in nonfarm employment over the last 3 years.

PAYEMS monthly change

For another view, here is the monthly percent change in nonfarm employment since 2000. We've added a 12-month moving average to highlight the long-term trend. The latest 12-month moving average is at 203,000, unchanged from the prior month and its lowest level since March 2021.

PAYEMS Monthly Change

The next chart shows the pattern of unemployment, recessions and the S&P composite since 1948. Unemployment is usually a lagging indicator that moves inversely with equity prices (top series in the chart). Note the increasing peaks in unemployment in 1971, 1975 and 1982. The mirror relationship repeats itself with the previous bear markets. The COVID pandemic briefly showed the same type of relationship between equities and unemployment, though the impact was temporary and irrational exuberance took over once again.

The latest unemployment rate is at 4.051% (to three decimal places).

Unemployment Rate and the Market

Now let's take a look at the unemployment rate as a recession indicator or more specifically the cyclical troughs in the unemployment rate (UR) as a recession indicator. The next chart features a 12-month moving average of the UR with the troughs highlighted. The current unemployment rate of 4.05% (to two decimal places) is above the latest 12-month moving average of 3.92% (to two decimal places).

As the inset table shows, the correlation between the MA troughs and recession starts is remarkably close. The latest trough in the series occurred 12 months ago in June 2023, where the 12-month moving average of the unemployment rate fell to its lowest level since January 1970.

Unemployment Rate and Recessions

Here's another chart to illustrate the reality of the unemployment rate - the unemployment rate divided by the labor force participation rate. We are currently at 6.5%, down from 6.7% the previous month.

The next chart shows the unemployment rate for the civilian population unemployed 27 weeks and over. This rate has fallen significantly since its 4.4% all-time peak in April 2010. After the COVID pandemic, the rate reached as high as 2.6% but has since fallen. The unemployment rate for the civilian population unemployed 27 weeks and over is now at 0.9%, unchanged from the previous month and the highest level since March 2022.

Unemployed 27+ Weeks