Manufacturing workforce
US factories added 9,000 jobs in September 2026, up 72,000 since December
+9,000. That's how much US manufacturing employment changed in September 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which called it little changed.
The longer run is the stronger signal. Factory employment is up 72,000 since a low in December 2025. In September the gains came from plastics and rubber products and from machinery manufacturing, which each added 5,000 jobs.
Across all industries, payrolls rose 29,000 and the unemployment rate was 4.2%. This page traces each figure to the BLS release.
Data covers US manufacturing payroll employment, hours and overtime in September 2026 (BLS Employment Situation, released October 2, 2026). Published 2026-10-16. Last reviewed 2026-10-16. Last updated 2026-10-16. Edited by Mike Ramsey / Reliable Media.
The figures and where they come from
Each figure is rated for how safely you can cite it today. Ratings judge current usability, not whether a number was ever correct.
| Figure | What it is | Source | Citation Confidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| +9,000 | Manufacturing employment change, September 2026 | [A] | Medium | A first monthly estimate, which the BLS revises in the next two releases. |
| +72,000 | Manufacturing employment since December 2025 | [A] | Medium | Measured from the BLS's own reference point, a recent low in December 2025. |
| +5,000 | Plastics and rubber products, September 2026 | [A] | Medium | One of two industries the BLS names as adding jobs in September. |
| +5,000 | Machinery manufacturing, September 2026 | [A] | Medium | Machinery includes the makers of industrial equipment. |
| 40.6 hours | Average manufacturing workweek | [A] | High | All employees, unchanged from August. |
| 3.0 hours | Average manufacturing overtime | [A] | High | Weekly overtime, unchanged from August. |
| +29,000 | Total nonfarm payroll change, for context | [A] | Medium | All industries combined. |
| 4.2% | Unemployment rate, for context | [A] | High | From the household survey, a separate survey from the payroll counts. |
| -60,000 combined | Revisions to July and August payrolls | [A] | High | Total nonfarm payrolls, all industries. Shows how much first estimates can move. |
Why the numbers disagree
Monthly payroll numbers move after first release. In this same report the BLS revised July and August total payroll growth down by a combined 60,000, so the September +9,000 may change too. The 72,000 gain since December 2025 is a sturdier reading of direction.
"Little changed" is the BLS's own description of the September move, so +9,000 shouldn't be reported as factories hiring at pace.
The jobs report and the unemployment rate come from different surveys. Payroll employment comes from employers; the 4.2% unemployment rate comes from households.
How to cite these figures
Cite it as BLS Employment Situation, September 2026: manufacturing employment +9,000, little changed, and up 72,000 since a low in December 2025.
Say which month and which release you're quoting, because first monthly estimates get revised in later reports.
For hiring momentum, the 72,000 since December 2025 is the better headline than one month's change.
Where people go wrong
Reporting +9,000 as a hiring surge. The BLS calls it little changed.
Treating the first estimate as final. This report alone revised July and August payrolls down by 60,000 combined.
Mixing the 4.2% unemployment rate with payroll counts as if they came from one survey.
How we checked
All figures come from the BLS Employment Situation news release for September 2026, published October 2, 2026. We cite the archived copy so the link stays on this release after newer ones come out.
Monthly changes rate Medium because they're first estimates subject to revision; hours, the unemployment rate and the revision total rate High.
Full source list
Primary sources, with live links. Every figure above traces to one of these.
- [A]U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsOctober 2, 2026
BLS, "The Employment Situation, September 2026" (monthly news release)
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_10022026.htm
Common questions
- How many manufacturing jobs were added in September 2026?
- About 9,000, which the BLS described as little changed. Manufacturing employment is up 72,000 since a recent low in December 2025.
- Which manufacturing industries added jobs in September 2026?
- Plastics and rubber products manufacturing and machinery manufacturing, each up 5,000, per the BLS.
- How many hours do US factory workers average?
- 40.6 hours a week in September 2026, with 3.0 hours of overtime, both unchanged from August.
- Will the September 2026 figure change?
- It may. In the September report the BLS revised July and August payroll growth down by a combined 60,000, and it notes revisions come from additional reports and recalculated seasonal factors.
More data, traced to source
- US manufacturing jobs: 17.1 million in 2000, 12.6 million by 2018
US manufacturing employed 17.1 million people at the start of the century and 12.6 million by the time Congress's research service last counted, in 2018. Here are the figures behind 'manufacturing is dying' and 'manufacturing is back,' traced to that report.
- US manufacturing had about 428,000 job openings in December 2024
US manufacturing had about 428,000 job openings in December 2024, with 7.6 million total nonfarm openings at a 4.5% rate, per the BLS JOLTS release of February 4, 2025. This is a December 2024 snapshot; pull the current JOLTS release for today's level. Openings count vacancies on the last business day of the month.
- ISM manufacturing PMI was 54.5 in September 2026, a ninth month of growth
The ISM Manufacturing PMI registered 54.5 in September 2026, down 0.1 from August and the ninth straight month of expansion. New orders rose to 55.3, while the prices index jumped 6.8 points to 77.9.
- Will automation wipe out factory jobs? BLS projects a 1% decline
Against the automation-apocalypse narrative, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects US production jobs to decline just 1.0% over its latest 10-year horizon, while total employment grows 4.0%. The official projection, traced to source.