The country added 29,000 jobs in September

The U.S. economy added 29,000 non-farming jobs in September, well below market expectations, according to a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Friday.

Economists surveyed by Reuters had forecast the creation of about 90,000 jobs, so the data confirmed a sharp slowdown compared to August, when 133,000 jobs were added following a downward revision.

The official report also revised the figures for the previous two months. July went from an initial estimate of 21,000 new jobs to a loss of 10,000, while August was revised from 162,000 to 133,000. Overall, both months recorded 60,000 fewer jobs than initially reported.

September's growth also fell short of the average for the past 12 months, during which the economy added about 45,000 jobs per month, according to the BLS.

Which sector grew the most?

Among the sectors that managed to increase their payrolls were healthcare, with 17,000 new jobs; construction, with 11,000; and manufacturing, with 9,000. Financial services, on the other hand, shed about 7,000 jobs.

For additional context, the unemployment rate stood at 4.2%, with approximately 7.1 million people unemployed. The rate has remained between 4.1% and 4.3% since March.

Average hourly wages rose by just 0.1% in September, to $37.81, although they continue to show year-over-year growth of 3%.

The weak jobs report also had an immediate impact on the markets: Wall Street futures extended their gains after the report was released, as investors adjusted their expectations regarding the Federal Reserve's next moves.