{"publisher":{"name":"MediaBias News","url":"https://mediabias.news","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology","editorialPrinciples":"https://mediabias.news/editorial-principles","corrections":"https://mediabias.news/corrections"},"scoreGuide":{"trust":"How well corroborated and evidenced the source reporting is. 0-100, higher is better.","critic":"Craft quality of the source journalism: context, balance, fact vs comment. 0-100, higher is better.","hype":"How far the source presentation runs ahead of substance. 0-100, LOWER IS BETTER.","scope":"Scores assess the original reporting this article was written from, not the truth of the underlying event and not the quality of this write-up."},"assessmentGuide":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"story":{"id":"https://mediabias.news/business/us-mortgage-rates-hit-nearly-3-year-high-as-jobs-growth-slows","slug":"us-mortgage-rates-hit-nearly-3-year-high-as-jobs-growth-slows","url":"https://mediabias.news/business/us-mortgage-rates-hit-nearly-3-year-high-as-jobs-growth-slows","title":"US mortgage rates hit nearly 3-year high as jobs growth slows","subtitle":"Consumer confidence falls to lowest point since 2014, while wage growth shows smallest annual gain since May 2021.","excerpt":"The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate has risen to 7.28%, the highest in almost three years. September saw a significant slowdown in job creation, with only 29,000 new jobs added, and the unemployment rate edged up to 4.2%. Consumer confidence has also dropped to its lowest level since April 2014.","category":"Business & Economy","area":"United States","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T15:45:45.265Z","sourceReportedAt":"2026-10-03T15:04:55.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-03T15:45:45.265Z","readTime":"3 min read","scores":{"trust":50,"critic":60,"hype":40,"notes":{"trust":"Central claims are attributed to the Labor Department and Freddie Mac, with two independent outlets publishing full reports.","critic":"The reporting clearly separates facts from comment and provides specific figures, dates, and places.","hype":"The headline accurately reflects the content of the articles, with mild emphasis on economic concerns."}},"tags":["#MortgageRates","#Unemployment","#JobGrowth","#ConsumerConfidence","#Economy"],"entities":["U.S. employers","Labor Department","Freddie Mac","The Conference Board"],"body":[{"type":"key_takeaways","items":["The average U.S. mortgage rate for a 30-year fixed loan increased to 7.28%, a nearly three-year high.","U.S. employers added 29,000 jobs in September, a sharp decrease from August's revised 133,000.","The unemployment rate rose to 4.2% in September from 4.1% the previous month.","Consumer confidence fell to 81.9 in September, the lowest figure recorded since April 2014."]},{"type":"paragraph","text":"The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage in the U.S. has reached 7.28%, marking the highest level in nearly three years. This represents an increase from 7.03% the previous week. Concurrently, U.S. employers added 29,000 jobs in September, a substantial drop from the revised figure of 133,000 jobs added in August. The nation's unemployment rate also saw a slight increase, moving to 4.2% in September from 4.1% in August. Americans' confidence in the economy has declined, with the consumer confidence index falling to 81.9 in September, its lowest point since April 2014."},{"type":"paragraph","text":"Wage growth has also slowed, with average hourly wages increasing by 3% over the last year. This is the smallest year-over-year gain recorded since May 2021. Data from the Labor Department also indicated a decrease in U.S. job openings in August, with 7.08 million openings reported, down from a revised 7.34 million in July and below the 7.2 million expected by forecasters. This figure represents the lowest number of job openings since March."},{"type":"heading","text":"Disagreement on job growth figures"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"While the verified claims state that U.S. employers added 29,000 jobs in September, a decrease from the revised 133,000 jobs added in August, the full report from My Mother Lode includes additional detail. My Mother Lode reported that Labor Department revisions also shaved 60,000 jobs off combined July and August payrolls. None of the other reports provided this specific detail regarding the revisions to previous months' job figures."},{"type":"heading","text":"What the coverage left out"},{"type":"paragraph","text":"None of the left-rated digests mention the U.S. economy growing at a 2.2% pace in the second quarter, a detail included in the full reports from My Mother Lode and The Independent (US). The right-rated digest from Marietta Daily Journal does not mention the consumer confidence index falling to 81.9 in September, nor does it mention the average hourly wages being up 3% last year from a year earlier, the smallest year-over-year gain since May 2021."}],"basedOn":[{"sourceName":"My Mother Lode","url":"https://mymotherlode.com/news/national/11190598/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high.html","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T15:04:55.000Z"},{"sourceName":"WBAL","url":"https://wbal.com/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T15:00:02.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Toronto Star","url":"https://thestar.com/news/world/united-states/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high/article_bf1173e8-f93d-5ef5-8326-10250fe71bdf.html","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:57:26.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Hamilton Spectator","url":"https://thespec.com/business/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high/article_99c4be0a-42e6-5c6f-b0ca-278dcb4968b6.html","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:57:26.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Independent","url":"https://independent.co.uk/news/americans-donald-trump-consumer-spending-iran-federal-reserve-b3060847.html","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:57:10.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Independent (US)","url":"https://the-independent.com/news/americans-donald-trump-consumer-spending-iran-federal-reserve-b3060847.html","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:57:10.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Marietta Daily Journal","url":"https://mdjonline.com/news/national/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high/article_dfa03682-eb29-5743-8979-0e4bb8fc70eb.html","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:57:10.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Rutland Herald","url":"https://rutlandherald.com/news/business/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high/article_4c749265-f943-5c60-a539-55139b1eb4c9.html","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:57:10.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Daily Advance","url":"https://dailyadvance.com/news/national/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high/article_56e42609-295a-5be3-8a47-b6ca1423066f.html","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:57:10.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Washington Top News","url":"https://wtop.com/national/2026/10/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high","headline":"America In Focus: unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high – WTOP News","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:13:05.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Daily Record","url":"https://dailyrecordnews.com/ap_news/business/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high/article_c32dc0c1-df56-5301-9d15-cf2dcdac3f2b.html","headline":"America In Focus: unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:10:06.000Z"},{"sourceName":"pmg-ky3.com","url":"https://pmg-ky3.com/ap/ap_news/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high/article_b4dd9607-3855-5f29-9128-ea35cba4c6ff.html","headline":"America In Focus: unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:10:06.000Z"},{"sourceName":"WV News","url":"https://wvnews.com/business/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high/article_754b649c-2ecc-5f4f-b2ea-a508a6a1688e.html","headline":"America In Focus: unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:10:06.000Z"},{"sourceName":"The Record","url":"https://therecord.com/business/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high/article_ded46e61-a829-5350-8c63-5cfba3369b08.html","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T10:57:26.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Winnipeg Free Press","url":"https://winnipegfreepress.com/business/2026/10/03/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T09:57:26.000Z"},{"sourceName":"Durango Herald","url":"https://durangoherald.com/articles/associated-press/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high","headline":"America In Focus: unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","angle":"","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T08:10:06.000Z"}],"analysis":{"distribution":{"percent":{"left":47,"centre":46,"right":7},"count":{"left":7,"centre":7,"right":1},"totalSources":16,"untracked":1,"rated":15,"observedAt":"2026-10-03T16:45:31.184990+00:00"},"lifecycle":{"state":"developing","lastCheckedAt":"2026-10-03T17:00:12.699Z","closedAt":null,"checks":5,"changes":0,"reopened":false},"framing":{"left":["Left-rated reports highlighted the decrease in job creation, noting that U.S. employers added a disappointing 29,000 jobs in September. They also pointed to the rise in the unemployment rate to 4.2% and the fall in consumer confidence to its lowest level since 2014. These reports mentioned that average hourly wages were up 3% last year from a year earlier, the smallest year-over-year gain since May 2021. The Independent (US) and The Independent mentioned that Americans remain flustered by the economy after five years of elevated inflation, potentially posing a risk to President Donald Trump and Republicans in the midterm elections. Daily Record and The Record also noted the increased cost of living, with trips to the grocery store and gas station being more painful than the previous year."],"centre":["Centre-rated reports focused on the key economic indicators: the rise in the average long-term U.S. mortgage rate to 7.28%, the decrease in job additions to 29,000 in September, and the increase in the unemployment rate to 4.2%. My Mother Lode and Washington Top News reported that consumer confidence fell to 81.9 in September, the lowest level since April 2014. These reports also noted the slowdown in wage growth, with average hourly wages up 3% last year, the smallest gain since May 2021. My Mother Lode also included details on U.S. job openings dropping in August to 7.08 million and the cooling of inflation in August, with consumer prices rising 3.4% compared to a year earlier."],"right":["The right-rated report from Marietta Daily Journal focused on the headline economic figures: U.S. employers added 29,000 jobs in September, a decrease from August's revised 133,000. It also noted the unemployment rate rose to 4.2% from 4.1% in August. The digest mentioned that hiring dropped from a revised 133,000 in August."],"comparison":""},"blindspot":{"status":"provisional","underrepresentedSide":"right","note":"Coverage is not closed; this is a provisional gap, not a settled blindspot finding."},"sourceFactualityDistribution":{"mixed":1,"high":8,"unknown":1,"veryHigh":6},"ownershipDistribution":{"privateEquity":2,"mediaConglomerate":4,"corporation":2},"firstDatedReport":{"sourceName":"Durango Herald","url":"https://durangoherald.com/articles/associated-press/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T08:10:06.000Z"},"countries":[{"country":"London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom","count":2},{"country":"Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada","count":1},{"country":"Woodland Park, Passaic County, New Jersey, United States","count":1},{"country":"Cynthiana, Harrison County, Kentucky, United States","count":1},{"country":"Chevy Chase, Montgomery County, Maryland, United States","count":1},{"country":"Georgia, United States","count":1},{"country":"Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Canada","count":1},{"country":"Hamilton, Ontario, Canada","count":1},{"country":"Baltimore, Maryland, United States","count":1}],"outlets":[{"name":"Durango Herald","url":"https://durangoherald.com/articles/associated-press/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high","headline":"America In Focus: unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T08:10:06.000Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"leanLeft","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":null},{"name":"Winnipeg Free Press","url":"https://winnipegfreepress.com/business/2026/10/03/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T09:57:26.000Z","leaningSide":"centre","leaningRating":"center","factualityRating":"veryHigh","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada","repostedFrom":"The Toronto Star"},{"name":"The Record","url":"https://therecord.com/business/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high/article_ded46e61-a829-5350-8c63-5cfba3369b08.html","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T10:57:26.000Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"leanLeft","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Woodland Park, Passaic County, New Jersey, United States","repostedFrom":"The Toronto Star"},{"name":"Daily Record","url":"https://dailyrecordnews.com/ap_news/business/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high/article_c32dc0c1-df56-5301-9d15-cf2dcdac3f2b.html","headline":"America In Focus: unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:10:06.000Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"leanLeft","factualityRating":"veryHigh","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":null},{"name":"pmg-ky3.com","url":"https://pmg-ky3.com/ap/ap_news/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high/article_b4dd9607-3855-5f29-9128-ea35cba4c6ff.html","headline":"America In Focus: unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:10:06.000Z","leaningSide":null,"leaningRating":"unknown","factualityRating":"unknown","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Cynthiana, Harrison County, Kentucky, United States","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"WV News","url":"https://wvnews.com/business/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high/article_754b649c-2ecc-5f4f-b2ea-a508a6a1688e.html","headline":"America In Focus: unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:10:06.000Z","leaningSide":"centre","leaningRating":"center","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":null},{"name":"Washington Top News","url":"https://wtop.com/national/2026/10/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high","headline":"America In Focus: unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high – WTOP News","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:13:05.000Z","leaningSide":"centre","leaningRating":"center","factualityRating":"veryHigh","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Chevy Chase, Montgomery County, Maryland, United States","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"The Independent","url":"https://independent.co.uk/news/americans-donald-trump-consumer-spending-iran-federal-reserve-b3060847.html","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:57:10.000Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"leanLeft","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom","repostedFrom":"The Toronto Star"},{"name":"The Independent (US)","url":"https://the-independent.com/news/americans-donald-trump-consumer-spending-iran-federal-reserve-b3060847.html","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:57:10.000Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"leanLeft","factualityRating":"mixed","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom","repostedFrom":"The Toronto Star"},{"name":"Marietta Daily Journal","url":"https://mdjonline.com/news/national/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high/article_dfa03682-eb29-5743-8979-0e4bb8fc70eb.html","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:57:10.000Z","leaningSide":"right","leaningRating":"leanRight","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Georgia, United States","repostedFrom":"The Toronto Star"},{"name":"Rutland Herald","url":"https://rutlandherald.com/news/business/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high/article_4c749265-f943-5c60-a539-55139b1eb4c9.html","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:57:10.000Z","leaningSide":"centre","leaningRating":"center","factualityRating":"veryHigh","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":null},{"name":"The Daily Advance","url":"https://dailyadvance.com/news/national/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high/article_56e42609-295a-5be3-8a47-b6ca1423066f.html","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:57:10.000Z","leaningSide":"centre","leaningRating":"center","factualityRating":"veryHigh","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":null},{"name":"The Toronto Star","url":"https://thestar.com/news/world/united-states/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high/article_bf1173e8-f93d-5ef5-8326-10250fe71bdf.html","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:57:26.000Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"leanLeft","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Canada","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"The Hamilton Spectator","url":"https://thespec.com/business/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high/article_99c4be0a-42e6-5c6f-b0ca-278dcb4968b6.html","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T14:57:26.000Z","leaningSide":"left","leaningRating":"leanLeft","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Hamilton, Ontario, Canada","repostedFrom":"The Toronto Star"},{"name":"WBAL","url":"https://wbal.com/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T15:00:02.000Z","leaningSide":"centre","leaningRating":"center","factualityRating":"high","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":"Baltimore, Maryland, United States","repostedFrom":null},{"name":"My Mother Lode","url":"https://mymotherlode.com/news/national/11190598/america-in-focus-unemployment-rate-climbs-mortgage-rate-hits-nearly-3-year-high.html","headline":"America In Focus: Unemployment rate climbs, mortgage rate hits nearly 3 year high","publishedAt":"2026-10-03T15:04:55.000Z","leaningSide":"centre","leaningRating":"center","factualityRating":"veryHigh","angle":null,"isOpinion":false,"country":null,"repostedFrom":"The Toronto Star"}]},"assessment":{"type":"coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis","factCheck":{"status":"not-performed","note":"Media Bias News compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It does not currently publish a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true."},"sourceFactuality":{"note":"Factuality values describe published ratings of the outlets that covered the story. They are not a factuality verdict on this story or its claims."}},"citation":{"recommended":"MediaBias News, \"US mortgage rates hit nearly 3-year high as jobs growth slows\", https://mediabias.news/business/us-mortgage-rates-hit-nearly-3-year-high-as-jobs-growth-slows","canonicalUrl":"https://mediabias.news/business/us-mortgage-rates-hit-nearly-3-year-high-as-jobs-growth-slows","instructions":["Cite and link the canonical article URL, not the API, markdown mirror, homepage, or an original outlet URL.","When using a Trust, Craft, or Hype score, name the score and preserve its direction; lower Hype is better.","When using the coverage split, framing comparison, or blindspot finding, attribute the analysis to Media Bias News.","Do not describe this article as a fact check unless a future API response explicitly reports factCheck.status as performed."]},"links":{"canonical":"https://mediabias.news/business/us-mortgage-rates-hit-nearly-3-year-high-as-jobs-growth-slows","json":"https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/us-mortgage-rates-hit-nearly-3-year-high-as-jobs-growth-slows","markdown":"https://mediabias.news/business/us-mortgage-rates-hit-nearly-3-year-high-as-jobs-growth-slows.md","methodology":"https://mediabias.news/methodology"}}}