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The unemployment rate rose to 4.4% in September, the highest since October 2021 and up from 4.3% in August, the Labor Department said Nov. 20 in a delayed report.

The Labor Department said it will not release a full jobs report for October because the government shutdown meant it couldn't calculate the unemployment rate and some other key numbers.

Economists have flagged the consumer price index and unemployment rate for October as those most likely at risk of not coming out due to how the data underpinning them is collected.

"This comes as AI adoption, softening consumer and corporate spending, and rising costs drive belt-tightening and hiring freezes,” Challenger, Gray & Christmas said in the report.

While helping to temper concerns of a faster deterioration in the job market, the modest payrolls increase last month is consistent with a general softening in labor demand.

Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem said he sees the Canadian labor market as “soft” despite recent data that showed the country added 60,400 jobs in September.

The central bank’s focus has shifted quickly from inflation to jobs, as hiring has grounded nearly to a halt in recent months and unemployment has ticked higher.

The Labor Department reported Sept. 9 that employers added 911,000 fewer jobs than originally reported from April 2024 through March.

Following Powell’s remarks investors boosted bets that the Federal Open Market Committee would cut rates at their Sept. 16-17 meeting.

Walmart is cutting hundreds of store-support roles, its latest move to simplify the structure of the world’s largest retailer.