September 2026: U.S. Job Growth Continues Amid Slowed AI Adoption Rate

Revelio Labs Employment Review: September 2026

In its latest report, Revelio Labs, a prominent firm specializing in workforce intelligence, shared significant insights regarding the American labor market for September 2026. The report highlights the addition of 56,900 new jobs across the nation, with notable contributions from sectors such as Public Administration and Health Care. However, the findings also point toward a pronounced decline in active job postings and a dramatic slowdown in the adoption of new artificial intelligence technologies.

Despite experiencing steady job growth, the broader labor demand has exhibited signs of cooling. The latest statistics reveal a 1.8% decrease in active job postings, bringing the total to approximately 18.12 million. This figure represents a 1.3% drop in comparison to the same period last year. Within this context, the Leisure and Hospitality sector observed the most significant contraction, witnessing a staggering 14.6% decline month-over-month.

The report reflects not only the addition of jobs but also noteworthy trends regarding employment flows. Hiring rates have waned, with declines apparent in 13 out of 17 tracked sector categories, while attrition rates decreased in 15 sectors as well. This dual trend paints a picture of a low-hire, low-fire labor market, where job creation is still ongoing, yet the dynamics of hiring and employee turnover have begun to plateau.

One of the key areas of focus within the report is the AI Labor Market Tracker, which has documented a 48% decline in the number of firms adopting generative AI technologies since its peak in April 2026. This decline further deepened with a 17% drop in AI adoption recorded in August alone compared to July. Interestingly, even with this slowdown, the cumulative adoption of AI across firms continues to rise. Currently, approximately 7% of hiring firms in the U.S. have been classified as AI adopters, indicating a steady escalation despite the current hesitance.

Notably, firms that have integrated AI into their operation are reportedly expanding their workforce at a faster rate than their non-AI counterparts. A stark 27% increase in the employment gap between these two groups has been observed since the onset of generative AI technologies, signifying a pronounced advantage for adopters in terms of headcount growth. Employment gains reflect varying levels across job seniority, with senior roles experiencing a 32% relative increase, while junior roles lagged behind with only a 6% rise.

The report further investigates transformations within existing occupations due to technological adoption. Approximately 90% of changes in work activities are occurring within established job roles rather than through shifts to different occupations, showing an increase from 89% in the previous report.

In its commitment to enhance understanding, Revelio Labs has expanded its Activity Explorer, a tool that allows for in-depth analysis of individual occupations and the evolution of their associated tasks since 2022. Among the findings, Data Scientists have reported increased responsibilities related to data analytics and AI implementation, while Registered Nurses are experiencing shifts toward greater supervisory duties.

Lisa Simon, Chief Economist at Revelio Labs, commented on these trends: "The labor market continues to add jobs, but both hiring and attrition are still slowing. On the AI side, we're seeing a slowdown in the number of firms newly adopting these tools, although overall adoption continues to increase. At the same time, the composition of work is evolving, largely within existing occupations. These developments remind us that understanding AI's impact on the labor market requires looking beyond headline employment numbers to how firms adopt technology and how jobs themselves are changing."

For a comprehensive assessment, you can access the full report via the links provided: RPLS - September 2026 and AI Labor Market Tracker. Both releases come with downloadable data and charts, which can be reproduced by journalists and researchers with proper attribution to Revelio Labs.

About Revelio Labs

Revelio Labs is dedicated to providing top-tier workforce intelligence by analyzing extensive labor data, facilitating informed decision-making for organizations globally. Their research encompasses over 30 million companies and 5 billion job postings across more than 195 countries, at the forefront of supporting labor market understanding through data-driven insights.