Latest US jobs figures reveal weaker-than-expected growth in last report before midterm elections – live

US added 29,000 new jobs in September, less than the 84,000 economists had predicted, as unemployment increased slightly to 4.2%

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Of note, the wage growth according to the latest jobs report, sits at 3% – which is still lower than the current 3.4% inflation rate. The gap here is crucial as voters prepare to vote in the upcoming midterms, and affordability is consistently polled as the key election issue ahead of November.

New figures, released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, shows that the number of new jobs added in the US was weaker than expected, while unemployment saw an uptick.