By Lucia Mutikani

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. job growth likely picked up moderately in September, while the unemployment rate held steady near a four-year high of 4.3%, consistent with sluggish labor market conditions that economists and policymakers have blamed on low supply and demand for workers.

Though the Labor Department’s closely watched employment report on Thursday would be backward-looking, it would confirm the significant loss of momentum in the labor market this year, marked by sharp downward revisions to nonfarm payroll counts.

The report was delayed by the 43-day shutdown of the government. The longest shutdown in history has forced the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which produces the employment report, to cancel the release of October’s report as no data was collected for t

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