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Secretary Sonderling Tells CNBC Jobs Report Beat Expectations With 115,000 Jobs

September 14, 2026 · USDepartmentofLabor · 0:07:23

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What happened

Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling joined CNBC to discuss the jobs report, which the host said showed 115,000 jobs added, well above expectations. Sonderling said 94 percent of economists had expected a figure around 65,000 jobs, making the actual result nearly double the forecast, and that it marked two consecutive months in which the labor market had beaten expectations.

Sonderling attributed the result to investment flowing into America under President Trump, saying employers were hiring and American workers were getting the opportunities. The host noted average hourly earnings rose 0.2 percent while real disposable income growth was slowing, and the discussion covered the contrast between the strong labor market and uncertainty surrounding the Middle East, higher oil prices, and weak consumer confidence readings.

Asked about interest rates, Sonderling said the President has been very clear that the Federal Reserve should cut rates and that the approach should continue. Pressed on why rates should fall while the labor market is strong, he said the labor market can keep improving, with more investment, more people returning to the labor force, and continued price declines.

Why it matters

The appearance was the Labor Department’s first-read defense of the report: a headline beat against economist expectations, used by the administration to argue its investment agenda is producing hiring despite geopolitical headwinds.

Scoreboard watch

Sonderling stated the report showed 115,000 jobs added against a consensus expectation of about 65,000 — a figure checkable against the Bureau of Labor Statistics release for the period covered.

Sources: USDepartmentofLabor, “Secretary Sonderling joins CNBC to discuss jobs report”, 2026-09-14 (official upload, embedded above; published 2026-09-14). Transcript via Supadata (private research store, paraphrased and attributed, not republished). All figures and characterizations as stated by the speakers.