Economists expect the report to show an increase in payroll employment of 200,000 to 225,000 workers.

Over the past 12 months, nonfarm payroll employment has risen by 1.6 million.

Nearly one-third of the 250,000 increase in payroll employment was accounted for by teachers and other local government workers.

There is some concern that the report will show continuing strong growth in payroll employment.

But total payroll employment still appears sickly if one looks back over the last three years.

Public and private payroll employment increased by more than 63,000 jobs, or 1.8 percent.

Those figures, scheduled for today, are expected to show a strong increase in payroll employment.

But according to the rumors, payroll employment instead rose by 100,000 last month.

In the last three months, payroll employment increased by only 70,000 jobs.

The nation's unemployment rate remained at 5.9 percent in August as payroll employment rose.