September's jobs report misses: US added just 29,000 jobs and unemployment ticked up

The US added just 29,000 jobs in September, missing expectations, as the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.2%, according to Labor Department data released Friday.

Economists surveyed by Bloomberg expected the data to show a gain of 90,000 jobs in September and expected the unemployment rate to remain at 4.1% for a third straight month.

The jobs miss raises questions about whether the Federal Reserve's interest rate hiking plans have stalled hiring.

While a 4.2% unemployment rate is relatively low and company layoffs have remained limited, corporations have been slow to make new hires.

Labor market data released ahead of the monthly jobs report show a mixed picture of the economy: August survey data showed that job openings, hiring, and layoffs were little changed in August, while data from payroll company ADP showed that private-sector employers added a healthier-than-expected 90,000 roles in September .

Claire Boston is a senior reporter for Yahoo Finance covering housing, mortgages, and home insurance.