The government's October 2026 jobs report comes out Friday, November 6, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said September added just 29,000 jobs and unemployment was 4.2%. Average pay rose 3.0% over the year, slower than the 3.7% rise in prices. The report counts jobs, not paychecks, so read the pay number too.
Key takeaways
- The October Employment Situation report is scheduled for Friday, November 6, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. The next one is December 4.
- September added 29,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate was 4.2%. It has stayed between 4.1% and 4.3% since March.
- July and August were revised down by a combined 60,000 jobs, so first estimates can change.
- Average hourly pay was $37.81, up 3.0% from a year earlier. After inflation, real pay fell 0.7%.
- The Fed's next meeting is December 8–9, so this report and the November 10 inflation report both come before it.
Every month, the government counts how many jobs the economy added and how many people are out of work. That is the jobs report, and the next one lands on Friday, November 6. It is one of the most-watched numbers in the country because it shows whether it is getting easier or harder to find work and win a raise.
Here is what the last report said, how to read the next one, and what it means for your own paycheck.
When is the October jobs report?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) schedules the October 2026 Employment Situation report for Friday, November 6, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. The report for November follows on December 4.
The inflation report for October comes out a few days later, on November 10. Together, the two reports show whether jobs are growing and whether pay is keeping up with prices.
What did the last jobs report say?
The September report came out on October 2. The BLS said both payroll employment and the unemployment rate “changed little.”
| Measure | September 2026 |
|---|---|
| Jobs added | +29,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 4.2% (7.1 million people) |
| Labor force participation rate | 61.8% |
| Average hourly pay | $37.81 (up 5 cents, or 0.1%, for the month) |
| Average hourly pay, 12-month change | +3.0% |
| Average workweek | 34.4 hours |
| Long-term unemployed (27 weeks or more) | 1.9 million, or 27.1% of the unemployed |
Health care added 17,000 jobs, construction 11,000 and manufacturing 9,000. Financial activities lost 7,000. The unemployment rate has stayed between 4.1% and 4.3% since March.
Why do the numbers get revised?
The first estimate is not the final word. In the September report, the BLS lowered July from a gain of 21,000 jobs to a loss of 10,000. It lowered August from 162,000 to 133,000. Together, that is 60,000 fewer jobs than first reported.
This is normal. The BLS explains that the business survey’s estimate is revised twice, then held until the yearly benchmark. So when you see a headline number on November 6, check what happened to the two months before it.
Why are there two different counts?
The jobs report mixes two surveys, and people often blur them together.
| Business survey | Household survey | |
|---|---|---|
| What it asks | Employers | About 60,000 households |
| What it counts | Jobs (a person with two jobs counts twice) | People (counted once) |
| What it gives you | The job gain or loss | The unemployment rate |
| Revisions | Revised twice, then at the yearly benchmark | Not revised until year-end |
According to the BLS, a person is counted as unemployed if they had no job during the survey week, were available to work, and had looked for work in the prior four weeks. People on temporary layoff who expect to be recalled are also counted.
Because the surveys are separate, they can disagree in a single month. That is not a mistake.
Is your pay keeping up with prices?
This is the part that touches your wallet. Average hourly pay was up 3.0% from a year earlier. The September inflation report put price growth at 3.7%, and real average hourly earnings, which is pay adjusted for prices, fell 0.7% over the year.
Here is what that gap looks like. This is an illustration, not a prediction for any person.
- Suppose you earned $1,000 a week a year ago.
- A 3.0% raise brings you to $1,000 × 1.03 = $1,030.
- To keep the same buying power at 3.7% inflation, you would need $1,000 × 1.037 = $1,037.
- The gap is $7 a week. Over 52 weeks, that is $7 × 52 = $364 a year.
The averages cover everyone. Your raise could be higher or lower. Compare it with inflation using our inflation calculator, and see what a raise does to your take-home pay with the paycheck calculator.
Does the jobs report affect interest rates?
Indirectly. The Federal Reserve held its target range at 3.75%–4.00% on October 28, and its next meeting is December 8–9. Officials look at job and price data when they decide, and both reports come out before that meeting. One report does not set the course, though, and nobody can promise what the Fed will do.
What to do now
- Mark the dates. The jobs report is Friday, November 6, and inflation is Tuesday, November 10, both at 8:30 a.m. Eastern.
- Read past the headline. Check the unemployment rate, the revisions to earlier months and the pay number, not just the job gain.
- Compare your raise with 3.7%. Use the pay raise calculator to see how your last raise stacks up against inflation.
- Build a cushion if work feels uncertain. Long job searches are common: 27.1% of unemployed people in September had been out of work for 27 weeks or more. A few months of expenses saved helps.
- Plan your next raise talk. If your pay has not kept up with prices, bring the numbers to your manager with your own results.
- Do not react to one report. A single month can be revised. Look at the trend over several months before changing a big money plan.
Frequently asked questions
When is the October 2026 jobs report?
The BLS schedule lists the October 2026 Employment Situation report for Friday, November 6, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. The November report follows on Friday, December 4, 2026. The BLS publishes the report on the first Friday of the month in most months, though the exact date is set on its schedule.
What was the last jobs report?
The September report, released October 2, showed payrolls up 29,000 and an unemployment rate of 4.2%. The BLS said both changed little. July was revised to a loss of 10,000 jobs and August to a gain of 133,000. Average hourly earnings rose 5 cents, or 0.1%, to $37.81.
What is a good number for job growth?
The BLS does not publish a target. It reports what happened and notes whether a change is statistically meaningful. In September it called the 29,000 gain 'little changed.' The unemployment rate also matters, and so do revisions to earlier months. Look at the trend over several months, not one report.
Why does the unemployment rate not match the job count?
They come from two different surveys. The BLS says the business survey counts jobs, so someone with two jobs is counted twice. The household survey, about 60,000 households, counts people, and that is where the unemployment rate comes from. The two can move in different directions in a single month.
Do jobs reports change after they come out?
Yes. The BLS says the business survey's estimate is revised twice in the following two months, and then held until the yearly benchmark. In the September report, July and August were both revised down. The household survey's unemployment rate is not revised until year-end.
Does the jobs report change my mortgage or savings rate?
Not directly. The Federal Reserve sets its target range, now 3.75%–4.00%, and it meets next on December 8–9. Officials look at jobs and inflation data when they decide. A single report does not set your rate, and nobody can promise what the Fed will do.