US economy added 254,000 jobs in September, logging surprisingly robust growth

US job growth surged in September, blowing past expectations and providing solid reassurance for the ongoing stability of the labor market.

Employers added an estimated 254,000 jobs in September, according to data released Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s a much higher tally than August’s monthly total (which was upwardly revised to 159,000) and it smashed economists’ expectations for a 140,000-job gain.