The US added a disappointing 194,000 jobs in September 2021, while unemployment dropped unexpectedly to 4.8% among persons seeking employment.
Dow Jones had predicted that 500,000 jobs would be added.
Job gains in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, and retail were offset by a sharp decline of 123,000 in government jobs.
The average wage increased significantly, by 0.6% month-on-month.
The job market still being far below full employment, the Fed is unlikely to increase interest rates right away.
Stock and bond markets had little reaction to the mixed bag of September job numbers.