U.S. employers add 148,000 jobs in September

Though the U.S. unemployment rate was unchanged at 7.2 percent in September, employers added 148,000 jobs last month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The number of unemployed in the country, 11.3 million, also changed little from the previous month, according to a news release issued today. The BLS jobs report originally was scheduled to be released Oct. 4, but was delayed by the federal government shutdown.

During September, job growth was reported in the construction, wholesale trade, and transportation and warehousing industries.

Construction employment rose by 20,000 last month; transportation and warehousing added 23,000 jobs; and wholesale trade increased by 16,000, the release said.