FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 2, 2026
Contact: media@iwpr.org
Modest September Jobs Growth Does Not Relieve Serious Economic Challenges Facing Women and Families
The Jobs Report for September 2026 was released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The following is a statement from Kate Bahn, PhD, chief economist and senior vice president of research at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), on what the current report reveals about the larger economy and its impact on women and families.
Are we looking out for who is being left behind through our economy’s highs and lows? That is the question on our minds as we see women and families plan for the fall in an uncertain labor market.
In September, the unemployment rate slightly rose to 4.2%, and the economy added just 29,000 jobs. Overall, this month’s numbers signal modest job growth in the face of ongoing economic challenges. But one data point alone cannot represent what women and families are experiencing.
IWPR analysis of recently released data revealed that Black women and Latinas were the only women to not benefit from a narrowed gender wage gap in 2025. Black women earn just 63.8 cents and Latinas just 52.6 cents for every dollar earned by a White man—a wage gap that limits their ability to build wealth and invest in their education, health, families, and long-term economic security.
This economic inequity is especially harmful when costs are inflated. In September, the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate for the first time in three years. This affirmed what many women already know: Inflation (at 3.4% in August), especially in energy costs, has been alarmingly high for longer than expected and has made life less affordable.
Just as we need more than one data point to understand our economic reality, we need more than one policy lever to build an equitable economy. Expanded policies to support caregivers, better-quality jobs, and increased protection from discrimination are all part of advancing a more just future.
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The Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) is the nation’s leading think tank working to win economic equity for all women. Through evidence-based research, policy solutions, and advocacy, IWPR is advancing the power and well-being of women across the US. Learn more at IWPR.org.