US Adds Just 29,000 Jobs in September as Unemployment Rises Ahead of Midterms

The United States added just 29,000 jobs in September, while the unemployment rate rose to 4.2 percent, according to the Labor Department, as reported by Al Jazeera.

The weak hiring figures come as the country heads toward midterm elections, a period in which economic indicators often draw heightened political attention.

A monthly jobs gain of 29,000 is notably below the pace typically associated with a robust labor market, signaling a slowdown in hiring activity.

The uptick in the unemployment rate to 4.2 percent adds to signs of softening in the labor market, though the report did not specify which sectors drove the slowdown.

Economic data released in the run-up to elections often feature prominently in political debate, and the September figures are likely to be cited by both supporters and critics of the administration's economic record.