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How many jobs have been added this year
Executive summary
The most recent federal data in the search set show the U.S. economy added 119,000 payroll jobs in September 2025, with the unemployment rate rising to about 4.4% [1] [2]. Because the federal shutdown delayed and combined monthly releases, an official October figure was not released and October jobs data will be folded into November’s December release, leaving gaps in the month‑by‑month public record [1] [3].
1. What the headline number actually is — and where it comes from
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ delayed September jobs release reported nonfarm payrolls increased by 119,000 in September 2025; multiple outlets — The New York Times, AP, Reuters, CNBC and others — cite that same BLS figure as the headline monthly gain [2] [3] [4] [5]. That 119,000 is a net, seasonally adjusted monthly change in total nonfarm payroll employment reported by the BLS establishment survey [1].
2. Why “this year” is a tricky phrase right now
If you mean “so far in calendar year 2025,” available sources do not provide a single summed total for job gains year‑to‑date in the provided excerpts; most reporting focuses on monthly changes and revisions (not a cumulative YTD sum) (not found in current reporting). Moreover, major revisions to earlier months in 2025 mean any simple addition of originally reported monthly figures would be misleading without using the revised BLS series [6].
3. Revisions matter — and they have been large in 2025
The BLS and reporting outlets note significant downward revisions earlier in 2025: for example, July was revised from 79,000 to 72,000 and August from +22,000 to −4,000, and longer‑run adjustments materially cut previously reported job counts over the prior year [7] [6]. PBS and others emphasize that revisions reduced the earlier picture of strong growth — the year‑ending revisions cut hundreds of thousands from earlier tallies, so any year‑to‑date count must use the revised series [6].
4. Sector detail and concentration of gains
The September gains were concentrated in a few sectors: health care, food services and social assistance were cited as contributors; health care alone added roughly 43,000 jobs in September per the BLS household/establishment notes, and food service/social assistance also boosted payrolls [1] [2] [6]. Several reports say hiring has become more concentrated in 2025 — health care has accounted for a disproportionate share of hiring in recent months [8].
5. The missing October data and its implications
Because the federal shutdown prevented a standalone October release, the BLS said October figures would be included in the combined November release on Dec. 16 [1] [2]. News outlets warn this gap creates uncertainty for policymakers and markets: Fed deliberations, market expectations and business decisions are operating with a partial official picture for the fall [4] [2].
6. Private tallies and alternative snapshots for “this year”
Private trackers (ADP, job‑site surveys, and proprietary hiring indexes) give partial, sometimes conflicting signals: ADP estimated private payrolls added 42,000 jobs in October, indicating a modest return to growth after private‑sector losses, but private series do not replace the BLS totals and have different coverage and methodology [9]. The New York Times and others rely on a mix of private indicators to assess broader trends while official monthly continuity is interrupted [8].
7. What to watch next — and how to get an accurate YTD number
For a reliable “jobs added this year” total you must: (a) use the BLS revised monthly series once the agency issues the full combined releases (the BLS release schedule and technical tables matter) [1]; (b) sum the revised monthly nonfarm payroll changes for the calendar period you mean (not found in current reporting — the specific YTD sum is not provided in the excerpts); and (c) note revisions could change that cumulative number — reporting this year shows revisions have already materially altered earlier tallies [6].
8. Competing narratives and hidden agendas to consider
News organizations emphasize different takeaways: some highlight the “surprising” resilience of hiring given economic headwinds (AP, NYT, CNN) while others stress signs of weakening and concentrated growth (PBS, Reuters, The New York Times analysis) [3] [2] [6] [8]. Political actors and market participants have incentives to emphasize either the strength (to support policy or political narratives) or the weakness (to argue for stimulus or policy changes); the delayed release and large revisions amplify those competing takes [4] [6].
If you want, I can calculate a calendar‑year‑to‑date total from the revised BLS monthly nonfarm payroll figures once you confirm which months you want included and whether to use the establishment (payroll) series — I can pull only from these sources and will cite the exact BLS monthly numbers reported here [1] [2].