US Payrolls Grew in September, But Jobless Rate Shows Fragility

US job growth topped expectations in September but the unemployment rate continued its march higher, underscoring the lingering fragility of the labor market.

The Bureau of Statistic’s latest jobs report, long delayed due to the government shutdown, showed nonfarm payrolls rose 119,000 in the month after declining in August. The unemployment rate, meanwhile, rose to its highest level in nearly four years — reflecting both the positive dynamic of more Americans participating in the workforce and the gloomier reality of more people losing their jobs.

The dated snapshot likely doesn’t change much for Federal Reserve officials, many of whom ...