September 2026 Data: CPI Up 0.6%, Payrolls Add 29,000

The Bureau of Labor Statistics' latest roundup of indicators points to an economy that is still adding jobs, though at a modest pace, while price measures at different stages of the supply chain moved at different speeds in September 2026.

Consumer prices rose 0.6% for the month, a reading that keeps inflation in view for households and policymakers alike. At the producer level, final demand prices climbed 1.3%, a preliminary figure. Payroll employment grew by 29,000 on a preliminary basis, and average hourly earnings edged up $0.05. The unemployment rate came in at 4.2%.

Second-quarter figures offered a separate lens on the same questions. The Employment Cost Index increased 0.9%, while productivity advanced 1.4%. Read together, they describe compensation growth and output per worker moving within a similar range, a combination that bears on unit labor costs and on how much pricing pressure businesses can absorb.

Several of the September readings are marked preliminary and remain subject to revision. Markets and Federal Reserve officials will weigh whether the consumer price gain reflects a one-month bump or something more durable, and whether hiring near 29,000 is enough to keep the labor market on an even footing.