US employers added 165,000 jobs in October
Professional and business services led hiring. The unemployment rate changed little at 4.1%.
US nonfarm payrolls grew by 165,000 in October, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported November 6. The gain was higher than the monthly average of 48,000 over the previous year. The unemployment rate, calculated from a separate survey of households, changed little at 4.1%.
Professional and business services added 70,000 positions. Health care added 42,000, including 16,000 at hospitals. Transportation and warehousing added 25,000, with couriers and messengers accounting for most of that gain.
The household survey also found that 4.8 million people were working part time for economic reasons, up 339,000 from September. This group includes people who wanted full-time work but had their hours cut or could only find a part-time job.
Average hourly pay on private nonfarm payrolls rose to $38, up 3.1% from a year earlier. The bureau also revised the August and September payroll estimates up by a combined 84,000 jobs as more responses came in and seasonal adjustments were recalculated. The next monthly report is scheduled for December 4.