U.S. employers added just 29,000 jobs in September as hiring slowed

Study the questions and tasks

Work through the material below, or start the interactive practice above to complete an attempt. Try the exercises before opening any answer or transcript sections, then use them to review your work.

Practice level

B2. Try this level if you can follow the instructions and understand most of the language; choose an earlier level if you need more support.

Question formats

Single choice

How to approach this practice

Read the questions, then listen before opening the transcript. Notice names, numbers and any corrections the speaker makes.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   How many jobs did restaurants and bars add?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. 11,000
   2. 17,000
   3. 29,000
   4. 60,000
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   11,000

   The recording gives the restaurant and bar total as a concrete example.

   Restaurants and bars added 11,000 jobs, or about one-third of the total increase.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which industries reduced their workforces?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Financial services and government
   2. Healthcare and restaurants
   3. Retail and transportation
   4. Construction and education
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Financial services and government

   The recording specifically identifies financial services and government.

   However, financial services and government reduced their workforces, while most other industries continued to add employees at a slow pace.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What happened to the unemployment rate from August to September?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. It rose from 4.1% to 4.2%.
   2. It fell from 4.2% to 4.1%.
   3. It remained unchanged at 4.2%.
   4. It doubled from 2.1% to 4.2%.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   It rose from 4.1% to 4.2%.

   The rate increased by one tenth of a percentage point.

   The unemployment rate rose to 4.2% in September from 4.1% the month before.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does a higher unemployment rate not necessarily indicate?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Large numbers of people have been dismissed
   2. Finding work has become more difficult
   3. Some people are looking for work
   4. The unemployment rate has increased
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Large numbers of people have been dismissed

   The recording separates a higher job-search rate from large-scale dismissals.

   A higher rate can indicate that finding work is becoming more difficult, although it does not necessarily mean that large numbers of people have been dismissed.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why may another rate increase become less likely?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The jobs report was weak.
   2. Wages increased faster than prices.
   3. Markets rejected all future increases.
   4. Healthcare stopped adding positions.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The jobs report was weak.

   Weak employment data reduce pressure for another increase later in the month.

   The weak jobs report makes another increase later this month less likely.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What did the Federal Reserve recently raise?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Its benchmark rate
   2. The unemployment rate
   3. Average wages
   4. Healthcare employment
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Its benchmark rate

   The recording identifies the benchmark rate as the policy instrument raised.

   The central bank recently raised its benchmark rate by a quarter of a percentage point to help control inflation.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   How did stock and bond markets respond?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. They experienced a modest rally.
   2. They fell into negative territory.
   3. They stopped responding to economic data.
   4. They immediately expected rate cuts.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   They experienced a modest rally.

   The markets reacted positively, though investors retained some concerns.

   Stock and bond markets responded with a modest rally, although investors still expected at least one more rate increase before the end of the year.

What to review next

Listen again to difficult sections, then open the transcript to check what you heard. Repeat a useful phrase aloud and try the recording once more without the text.

A focused practice result shows how you did on these tasks. Use several activities across skills to decide what to study next; one practice score does not certify an overall CEFR level.

Before you practise: a worked example

Listen for the final information, especially when a speaker corrects or changes an earlier statement.

Example transcript: “Let’s meet at five — actually, half past five would be better.” What is the final suggested time?

The final suggested time is 5:30. Actually signals a correction; the first time is replaced by the later suggestion.

This teaching example is separate from the scored questions. After your test, compare any mistakes with the explanation and revisit the topic before trying again.