ISTANBUL

The US economy added 119,000 jobs in September, well above the market expectations, according to delayed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released on Thursday.

The market expectation for non-farm payrolls in September was set to show a gain of 53,000, while the August figure was revised downwards to a loss of 4,000 from a gain of 22,000.

For July, the figure was also revised downwards by 7,000 to 72,000.

September's job growth came from big industries, with the health care sector leading at 43,000, almost in line with the previous year's pace. Social assistance added 14,000, and bars and restaurants contributed 37,000.

On the other hand, transportation and warehousing lost 25,000 jobs, and the federal government, which had significantly boosted employment, lost 3,000 jobs, contributing to a loss of 97,000 jobs for the whole year.

Also, professional and commercial services reported a 20,000 decrease, driven by a 16,000 drop in temporary assistance.

The report put an end to the lack of labor market data that started in early September and persisted during the government's record 43-day closure.

Following the release of the August count on Sept. 5, this was the first BLS jobs report.

The bureau also stated Wednesday that it will release jobs data for October and November simultaneously on Dec. 9. October’s numbers will not include the unemployment rate data that comes from a survey of households that will not be possibly completed due to the government shutdown.

The non-farm job additions are an important indicator for the Federal Reserve in deciding the monetary policy. A weakening job market would push the central bank to lower the policy rate, which currently stands in the range of 3.75% to 4%.

According to CME FedWatch, traders were pricing in a 41.6% chance of a 25-basis-point cut in December on Thursday, down from a 63.8% probability in the previous week.