Dive Brief:

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the U.S. economy generated 156,000 new jobs in September, falling a bit short of predictions, which were between 170,000 and 176,000 new jobs. At the same time, the nation's unemployment rate rose minimally, going from 4.9% to 5%, according to NPR.
• In August, the U.S. economy had added 151,000 new jobs, with a steady unemployment rate. So far, job growth has averaged 178,000 per month, compared with an average of 229,000 per month in 2015, the BLS noted. In September, professional and business services and health care made gains.
• Regarding wages, the BLS said that in September, "average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 6 cents to $25.79. Over the year, average hourly earnings have risen by 2.6 percent. Average hourly earnings of private-sector production and non-supervisory employees increased by 5 cents to $21.68 in September."

Dive Insight:

While jobs expectations may have fallen short in September, the talent market continues to be a tough one for employers, as the unemployment rate remains close to full employment.

Pete Lamson, CEO of Jazz, a hiring technology company, told HR Dive that the monthly jobs reports aren’t telling the whole story. For example he says job growth over the past quarter continues to be an encouraging sign, but based on his firm's experience, many employers are struggling to fill open positions.

Lamson says he sees "interesting trends playing out in the job market," as roles are more blended than they used to be. Many people are finding gig economy work across multiple employers simultaneously, and contingent work and job hopping has increased. He adds that since January 2016, job postings on the Jazz platform have increased nearly 18%, but its partners still say they can’t find candidates with the right mix of experience and soft skills, thus prolonging the candidate search.