US job growth slows sharply in September, unemployment rate rises to 4.2%

US employers added just 29,000 jobs in September, sharply below expectations, while the unemployment rate rose to 4.2 per cent, pointing to a cooling labour market even as layoffs remain limited, government data showed on Friday.The September payroll gain was well below the 90,000 increase economists expected. August's job growth was also revised down to 133,000 from 162,000 reported earlier.The weak headline figure may not fully reflect an underlying deterioration in employment. Economists said seasonal-adjustment factors, including the timing of the Labor Day holiday, likely contributed to the unusually low September gain and the downward revision to August. There have also been few signs of a broad increase in layoffs, with initial unemployment claims remaining historically low.The unemployment rate rose from 4.1 per cent in August to 4.2 per cent in September.