New Delhi, Oct. 2 -- U.S. employers added a disappointing 29,000 jobs and the unemployment rate ticked up last month, the government reported Friday, a month before voters go to the polls in pivotal midterm elections at a time of discontent over the high cost of living and the state of the economy.

Hiring dropped from a revised 133,000 in August, the Labor Department reported. The unemployment rose to a still-low 4.2% from 4.1% in August.

Economists had expected September payrolls to come in at 90,000.

The U.S. job market has proven solid in the face of a series of shocks - trade wars, persistent inflation, high interest rates and a conflict with Iran that has driven energy prices higher. Friday's jobs report is the last one that will ...