Economists expect the economy added 56,000 jobs in September, while the unemployment rate stayed at 9.1 percent for a third straight month. The report will be released Friday.

Continue reading

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Tuesday that the economic recovery "is close to faltering" and the biggest factor depressing consumer confidence is poor job growth.

The ISM report showed that growth wasn't broad-based in September.
Nine sectors reported expansion, including utilities, transportation and warehousing, health care, and retail.

Eight sectors said they contracted, including educational services, real estate, hotels and restaurants, and financial services.

Many respondents to the survey said that uncertainty about the future direction of the economy was weighing on their business.

"It appears everyone is waiting to see what happens next," said an executive in the hotels and restaurants sector. "No trust in the economy or the federal government to do what is needed."