← 2026-10-22 edition · Sourced reporting
Published Oct 22, 2026, 7:00 AM Central · This version Oct 22, 2026, 7:00 AM Central · As of 2026-10-22
New Jersey and South Carolina added jobs; Wisconsin lost them in BLS’s September estimate
BLS’s October 20 release identifies significant monthly payroll gains of 14,900 in New Jersey and 12,500 in South Carolina, and a loss of 13,700 in Wisconsin. These preliminary workplace-job estimates do not count unique job seekers, guarantee openings or establish benefit eligibility. [1] [2] [3] [4]
Find your state unemployment office through USAGov and check its eligibility and application rules. Cross-state or remote work can need office guidance; a payroll headline does not establish eligibility. →U.S. BLS September 2026 state nonfarm payroll estimates, seasonally adjusted monthly changes from revised August. Table D selects statistically significant changes at the 90% confidence convention. September is preliminary. Workplace jobs are distinct from resident unemployment.
- 2 source records
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- USAGov
Still open: No employer-level explanation, vacancy count, individual job opportunity or causal policy finding. All open questions ↓
Reporting question · As of 2026-10-22
The question: Which states had statistically significant September payroll changes, and what does that mean for someone looking for work?
U.S. BLS September 2026 state nonfarm payroll estimates, seasonally adjusted monthly changes from revised August. Table D selects statistically significant changes at the 90% confidence convention. September is preliminary. Workplace jobs are distinct from resident unemployment.
August to September 2026, seasonally adjusted · jobs
BLS Table D only: the three statistically significant monthly changes. September preliminary; unlisted states are not zero. Jobs by workplace, not unique people or vacancies.
Archive photograph · 2017-06-14 · Washington, D.C., United States
Understand the story.
Three changes stand out
New Jersey’s payroll estimate rose by 14,900 jobs and South Carolina’s by 12,500; Wisconsin’s fell by 13,700. These are the three monthly changes selected in BLS Table D. They compare September with revised August estimates on a seasonally adjusted basis. [1] [2] [3]
Jobs and unemployed residents are different
A workplace payroll count is not a count of unique residents. Someone appearing on more than one payroll can be counted more than once. The unemployment measure instead concerns people where they live. Read the unit before treating a payroll gain as a change in your own chance of finding work. [4]
An unlisted state is not zero
BLS uses a 90% confidence convention when highlighting changes in this release. Unlisted states can have numerical changes that do not meet that test. September remains preliminary, and revisions can alter the comparison. Nothing here identifies an employer, policy or election as the cause. [4]
Use the right office for help
If you lost work, use the official state referral rather than this table to check unemployment insurance. USAGov explains that rules are set by states and most people file where they worked. For remote or cross-state work, ask the relevant office which route applies; these estimates cannot decide your claim. [5]
How we know5 scoped claims · 2 source recordsView evidence
Each claim keeps its full assertion, date, source passage and limits. Source counts describe records, not independent corroboration.
1.New Jersey monthly changeSupported
Table D reports a seasonally adjusted August-to-September 2026 nonfarm payroll change of +14,900 jobs in New Jersey.
- Scope
- U.S. BLS September 2026 state nonfarm payroll estimates, seasonally adjusted monthly changes from revised August. Table D selects statistically significant changes at the 90% confidence convention. September is preliminary. Workplace jobs are distinct from resident unemployment.
- Evidence passage
- Table D, New Jersey row: August 2026, September 2026(p), over-the-month level change.
- As of
- 2026-10-22
- Limit
- September preliminary; these are jobs by workplace, not unique people or a measured cause.
Retrieved 2026-10-22T10:01:33.347Z · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Survey/model estimates with sampling and nonsampling error. Table D is a selected significant-change table, not every state or a causal study.
2.South Carolina monthly changeSupported
Table D reports a seasonally adjusted August-to-September 2026 nonfarm payroll change of +12,500 jobs in South Carolina.
- Scope
- U.S. BLS September 2026 state nonfarm payroll estimates, seasonally adjusted monthly changes from revised August. Table D selects statistically significant changes at the 90% confidence convention. September is preliminary. Workplace jobs are distinct from resident unemployment.
- Evidence passage
- Table D, South Carolina row: August 2026, September 2026(p), over-the-month level change.
- As of
- 2026-10-22
- Limit
- September preliminary; these are jobs by workplace, not unique people or a measured cause.
Retrieved 2026-10-22T10:01:33.347Z · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Survey/model estimates with sampling and nonsampling error. Table D is a selected significant-change table, not every state or a causal study.
3.Wisconsin monthly changeSupported
Table D reports a seasonally adjusted August-to-September 2026 nonfarm payroll change of -13,700 jobs in Wisconsin.
- Scope
- U.S. BLS September 2026 state nonfarm payroll estimates, seasonally adjusted monthly changes from revised August. Table D selects statistically significant changes at the 90% confidence convention. September is preliminary. Workplace jobs are distinct from resident unemployment.
- Evidence passage
- Table D, Wisconsin row: August 2026, September 2026(p), over-the-month level change.
- As of
- 2026-10-22
- Limit
- September preliminary; these are jobs by workplace, not unique people or a measured cause.
Retrieved 2026-10-22T10:01:33.347Z · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Survey/model estimates with sampling and nonsampling error. Table D is a selected significant-change table, not every state or a causal study.
4.Different measures and uncertaintySupported
Payroll estimates count jobs by workplace; household-based unemployment concerns residents. BLS cites changes as significant at 90% confidence, and September estimates are preliminary.
- Scope
- U.S. BLS September 2026 state nonfarm payroll estimates, seasonally adjusted monthly changes from revised August. Table D selects statistically significant changes at the 90% confidence convention. September is preliminary. Workplace jobs are distinct from resident unemployment.
- Evidence passage
- Opening survey distinction; Technical Note: Employment—from CES, Definitions; Reliability: Use of error measures; Table D footnote.
- As of
- 2026-10-22
- Limit
- Statistical significance neither explains the cause nor means unlisted states had zero changes.
Retrieved 2026-10-22T10:01:33.347Z · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Survey/model estimates with sampling and nonsampling error. Table D is a selected significant-change table, not every state or a causal study.
5.Benefits depend on state rulesSupported
USAGov directs users to state unemployment offices for eligibility and filing; in most cases claims are filed where the person worked.
- Scope
- U.S. BLS September 2026 state nonfarm payroll estimates, seasonally adjusted monthly changes from revised August. Table D selects statistically significant changes at the 90% confidence convention. September is preliminary. Workplace jobs are distinct from resident unemployment.
- Evidence passage
- Find out if you are eligible; How to apply for unemployment benefits.
- As of
- 2026-10-22
- Limit
- Exceptions for cross-state or remote work require office guidance; no eligibility or amount is established.
Retrieved 2026-10-22T10:01:33.523Z · USAGov
General state referral; states decide eligibility. Not an individual determination.
What remains open.
- No employer-level explanation, vacancy count, individual job opportunity or causal policy finding.
- Only the significant-change selection in Table D is charted. Unlisted states are not zero. September is preliminary.
A revised original, changed scope, contrary record or current operational update would reopen these claims and the exact draft.
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