September’s jobs numbers are in, and they’ve smashed expectations with a hefty 119,000 new positions added to the economy.

The Trump Department of Labor’s latest report, delayed by a frustrating government shutdown, revealed this impressive payroll growth on Thursday, alongside a slight uptick in the unemployment rate to 4.4% from 4.3%, while consumer-driven sectors led the charge, as Breitbart reports.

Economists, often playing it safe, predicted a modest gain of just 50,000 jobs, but the actual numbers more than doubled that forecast, showing the resilience of the American worker despite bureaucratic hiccups.

Consumer Sectors Drive Impressive Growth

Drilling into the data, consumer-facing industries were the heavy hitters, with bars and restaurants tacking on 37,000 jobs and leisure and hospitality adding 47,000 more.

Healthcare wasn’t far behind, expanding by 43,000 positions, while retail trade and wholesalers chipped in with 13,900 and 9,400 new jobs, respectively -- proof that American households are still spending strong.

Construction also rebounded with 19,000 new roles after two months of decline, bringing its yearly gain to 30,000, a quiet win for an industry often battered by economic headwinds.

Government and Manufacturing Face Headwinds

Not every sector shared the spotlight, as federal government employment dipped by 3,000 in September, part of a broader decline of 97,000 since the year began.

Manufacturing took a hit too, shedding 6,000 jobs last month, with durable goods cutting 4,000 despite a small yearly gain of 1,000 -- hardly the industrial comeback many hoped for.

These losses, while concerning, don’t overshadow the broader gains, though they do raise questions about where government priorities lie when private sectors are carrying the load.

Wages Rise Above Inflation Rate

On the earnings front, there’s more good news: average hourly wages climbed 9 cents to $36.67, a 0.2% bump, and over the past year, they’ve risen 3.8%, outpacing the 3.0% inflation rate.

For private-sector production and nonsupervisory workers, the increase was even sharper at 8 cents to $31.53, or 0.3%, showing that real purchasing power is holding up for everyday Americans.

This wage growth, while not flashy, is a steady rebuttal to the doom-and-gloom narratives often peddled by those pushing for more government intervention over market solutions.

Revisions and Future Reports Cloud Outlook

Looking back, revisions to earlier data weren’t as kind -- July’s job gains were trimmed by 7,000 to 72,000, and August flipped from a small gain to a loss of 4,000 after a 26,000 downward adjustment.

With the government shutdown stalling data collection, don’t hold your breath for an October report, and the November numbers won’t drop until Dec. 16, well past the usual schedule.

Still, September’s labor force participation ticked up, with 251,000 more Americans employed, even as 219,000 others searched for work without success -- a mixed bag, but one that shows a workforce hungry to contribute despite the red tape and progressive policies that often seem to prioritize ideology over jobs.