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 passage for its main idea, then return to the relevant sentence or paragraph for each question. Base answers on the passage.

1. Question 1 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What is the article’s main idea?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The labor market weakened, affecting wages and rate expectations.
   2. Most industries eliminated jobs during a broad economic collapse.
   3. The Federal Reserve immediately lowered interest rates after the report.
   4. Healthcare became the only industry still employing American workers.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The labor market weakened, affecting wages and rate expectations.

   The report describes weaker hiring, slower pay growth, and possible policy consequences.

   The U.S. labor market lost momentum in September, as employers added only 29,000 jobs.

2. Question 2 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What can readers infer from July’s revised total entering negative territory?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. July’s labor performance was initially overstated.
   2. July had the strongest employment growth of the year.
   3. August figures were removed from the government report.
   4. Employers added exactly 60,000 jobs during July.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   July’s labor performance was initially overstated.

   The revision suggests earlier employment performance was weaker than first reported.

   Employment gains for July and August were also revised downward by a combined 60,000 jobs, pushing July’s total into negative territory.

3. Question 3 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What does “it” refer to in the third paragraph?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The unemployment rate
   2. The previous month
   3. The share of people
   4. A large number of dismissals
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The unemployment rate

   The pronoun refers to the unemployment rate described immediately beforehand.

   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.

4. Question 4 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Why does the article explain the unemployment rate?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. To clarify what the statistic measures
   2. To prove that layoffs were widespread
   3. To compare restaurants with hospitals
   4. To explain why wages increased
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   To clarify what the statistic measures

   The explanation helps readers interpret the reported increase accurately.

   The unemployment rate measures the share of people who are looking for work but do not currently have a job.

5. Question 5 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   How are the report’s effects presented in the final paragraph?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. The report influenced both policy expectations and financial markets.
   2. The report ended all expectations of future rate increases.
   3. The report caused markets to fall sharply and immediately.
   4. The report affected only government employment decisions.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   The report influenced both policy expectations and financial markets.

   The conclusion connects labor data with policy expectations and market reactions.

   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.

6. Question 6 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   Which detail best supports the claim that hiring continued in some industries?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Healthcare added 17,000 positions.
   2. July’s total entered negative territory.
   3. The unemployment rate measures joblessness.
   4. Prices rose faster than pay.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Healthcare added 17,000 positions.

   The sentence gives specific examples of industries adding employees.

   Healthcare, which has regularly supported job growth, added 17,000 positions.

7. Question 7 · Single choice

   Choose one answer.

   What contrast does the article emphasize about the labor market?

   Return to the passage, recording or visual
   1. Hiring slowed without widespread layoffs.
   2. Wages rose while employment expanded rapidly.
   3. Government hiring increased while private hiring stopped.
   4. Markets declined despite stronger employment figures.
   Check answers and explanations

   Answer

   Hiring slowed without widespread layoffs.

   Hiring weakened, but the report did not indicate broad job destruction.

   The report did not show widespread layoffs.

What to review next

Find the words that support each answer. For a mistake, compare the question with the evidence and identify the detail or inference you missed.

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

Look for evidence in the text. Separate what the writer says from what you already know about the topic.

The library normally closes at six, but on Fridays it stays open until eight. When does it close on Friday?

The answer is eight. But introduces an exception to the normal closing time, so the first time mentioned is not the answer.

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.