Employers Added 119,000 Jobs in September, Jobless Rate Rose (4)

US job growth picked up in September following a decline in the prior month, and the unemployment rate ticked higher, underscoring a number of cross-currents in a fragile labor market.

Nonfarm payrolls increased 119,000 after the prior month was revised lower, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Thursday. The unemployment rate ticked up to an almost four-year high of 4.4% as the labor force grew.

The dated snapshot, including the 4,000 drop in August payrolls, suggests an uneven US labor market prior to the longest government shutdown on record. Prior reports had shown anemic hiring amid a low-hire, ...