US adds disappointing 29,000 jobs and unemployment ticks up to 4.2% in September

WASHINGTON — U.S. employers added a disappointing 29,000 jobs and the unemployment rate ticked up last month, the government reported Friday, a month before voters go to the polls in pivotal midterm elections at a time of discontent over the high cost of living and the state of the economy.

Hiring dropped from a revised 133,000 in August, the Labor Department reported. The unemployment rose to a still-low 4.2% from 4.1% in August

Economists had expected September payrolls to come in at 90,000.

The U.S. job market has proven solid in the face of a series of shocks — trade wars, persistent inflation, high interest rates and a conflict with Iran that has driven energy prices higher. Friday's jobs report is the last one that will come out before Nov. 3 elections that will determine whether President Donald Trump's Republicans maintain full control of Congress.

Futures for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite added to their gains after the data was released, while Treasury yields moved lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury was 5.17%, down from 5.24% a day earlier.