Us payrolls fell below expectations for the second month in a row, signalling a weak labour market recovery and complicating the Fed's decision to start scaling back its monetary stimulus measures before the end of the year.

Non-farm payrolls rose by 194000 in September and were revised upwards to 366000 in August, according to data released by the Labor Department on Friday. The unemployment rate fell to 4.8% and the average hourly wage jumped.

Economists surveyed by Bloomberg forecast a median increase in non-farm payrolls of 500000 in September.

Several months of sluggish job growth shows that there is a tug-of-war between employers and job seekers. on the one hand, companies need employees to meet market demand, but job seekers are slow to return to the job market. Still, in the context of corporate pay increases, the reopening of schools and the end of federal supplementary unemployment benefits should lead to an increase in hiring in the coming months.

The September jobs data may not meet the Fed's criteria for "substantial further improvement" in the labour market, meaning the Fed is likely to delay plans to start downsized asset purchases by the end of the year.

Jerome Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve, said after last month's policy meeting that the September jobs report performed "quite well" to meet this condition.

Compulsory vaccination measures imposed by some employers and governors, including California and New York, in recent weeks could also lead to labour market turmoil and increase recruitment challenges.