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October 6, 2006 10:00 AM, EDT

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.S. companies added 51,000 workers in September, pushing the unemployment rate down to 4.6% for the month, the Labor Department reported Friday.

The declines follow a revised increase of 188,000 in August — the biggest job gain in six months — and a drop in the unemployment rate to 4.7%, Bloomberg said.

The unemployment rate, which matches a five-year low first reached in May, was in line with analyst expectations. Job gains were below economists’ forecast of 120,000, Bloomberg said.

The unemployment rate is based on a survey of households. The number of payroll jobs added is determined by a separate survey of business and government establishments.

Because employment levels drive so much economic activity, an increase in employment can help consumer confidence and spending patterns, which affect trucking demand.