The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Added 156,000 Jobs in September; Jobless Rate Rose to 5%

Job growth remained steady for the month of September. According to The Wall Street Journal, employment grew by 156,000 jobs during the month.

While job growth was modest, the unemployment rate slightly increased to 5 percent. This rise in unemployment actually signals something positive--that more Americans are entering the workforce.

Wages increased during September as well. The average paycheck saw growth of 2.6% over the past year. In September, on average, private-sector workers earned $25.79 an hour, which is up 6 cents from August.

As one of the final months before the presidential election, the report provides one final look at how the economy is performing during President Barack Obama’s time in office. With the steady increase, Hillary Clinton will urge voters to keep a Democrat in the White House, while Republican Donald Trump will point out modest economic gains for blue-collar workers and the high underemployment rate.

In addition, the average workweek for Americans rose a tenth of an hour to 34.4 hours.

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