By Emma Ockerman

US labor market gained 119,000 jobs in September as unemployment edged up slightly. Yahoo Finance

The US economy added 119,000 positions in September, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed Thursday, offering a boost to the labor market as broader concerns about a slowdown have left Americans on edge.

The unemployment rate, meanwhile, crept up to 4.4%, slightly exceeding August’s level of 4.3%.

Wall Street economists had expected the month's jobs report to show job gains of around 50,000 positions, according to data from Bloomberg.

The report was initially scheduled for release on Oct. 3, but was delayed by the government shutdown that ran from Oct. 1 until Nov. 12.

Learn more: Worried about job security? Here's how to protect your finances.

Data from private sources, which provided some insight during the pause, had suggested the labor market continued to sputter in September, with payroll processor ADP reporting that the private sector shed 29,000 jobs during the month. Meanwhile, global outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas announced hiring plans were at their lowest since 2009.

Thursday's release will be followed by another lengthy stretch without an official jobs report. The BLS announced on Wednesday that it will not publish the full jobs report for October, citing its inability to adequately collect data during the shutdown. The November jobs report, originally scheduled for release on Dec. 5, will now be published on Dec. 16 and will contain what October data the agency was able to collect.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Emma Ockerman is a reporter covering the economy and labor for Yahoo Finance. You can reach her at emma.ockerman@yahooinc.com.