According to the US Department of Labor, the unemployment rate fell to a 49-year low in September. At 3.7%, this is the lowest unemployment rate since December 1969. However, only 134,000 new jobs were created in September, falling short of the estimated 185,000 new jobs. Leisure and hospitality lost 17,000 jobs, suggesting Hurricane Florence was a factor, and retailers dropped 20,000 jobs, as shoppers continue to buy products online.
The low unemployment rate and relatively weak job growth indicates employers are continuing to struggle to fill open jobs because of the lack of job seekers. Over the past 9 months, recruiters have widened their search to candidates they may have overlooked in the past, such as African Americans and other disadvantaged groups that have struggled to find work in previous times. Check out the following for a full breakdown of the September 2018 jobs report.