The federal government’s long-delayed September jobs report will be released later Thursday morning, offering a crucial snapshot of the state of the U.S. labor market when many Americans are worried about higher costs and large-scale corporate layoffs are in the headlines. Analysts expect the September report to show a gain of 50,000 jobs in the month, as cost-of-living issues and reduced consumer spending crimped companies’ hiring plans. While that would be an improvement from the 22,000 jobs added in August, it would remain well below the 2024 average monthly total of about 168,000. Scheduled for release at 8:30 ... (full story)