A closely watched report released by the Labor Department on Friday showed employment in the U.S. increased by much more than expected in the month of September.

The Labor Department said non-farm payroll employment jumped by 254,000 jobs in September after climbing by an upwardly revised 159,000 jobs in August.

Economists had expected employment to rise by 140,000 jobs compared to the addition of 142,000 jobs originally reported for the previous month.

The report also showed the unemployment rate edged down to 4.1 percent in September from 4.2 percent in August. Economists had expected the unemployment rate to remain unchanged.

At 9 am ET, New York Federal Reserve President John Williams is scheduled to give opening remarks before “The Future of New York City: Focus on Jobs” conference.