Follow MarketWatch's live coverage of the jobs report for September and weekly jobless claims delayed by the longest U.S. government shutdown in history.

After a 76-day wait, data-starved investors finally got their hands on an official jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics this morning.

The federal government’s long-delayed September jobs report will be released later Thursday morning, offering a crucial snapshot of the state of the U.S. labor market when many Americans are worried about higher costs and large-scale corporate layoffs are in the headlines.

September employment data — delayed seven weeks because of the shutdown — is expected to show another month of tepid jobs growth.

Policymakers at the central bank are at odds over the need to cut interest rates for a third straight meeting, as inflation picks up again and the labor market slows down.

The September jobs report, delayed due to the government shutdown, showed the food services sector added more than 36,000 jobs for the month, more than any sector besides health care.

Stocks rallied in early trading on Thursday, just hours after blockbuster earnings from chip giant Nvidia and a stronger-than-expected jobs report. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped nearly 600 points, or 1.2%, while the S & P 500 climbed 1.8%. The tech-heavy Nasdaq soared 2.5%.

September jobs report reveals U.S. labor market losing steam with employment figures revised down by 33,000 for July and August, signaling economic concerns.