U.S. employers added 165,000 jobs in October, and unemployment was 4.1 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported November 6. The national report showed gains in several industries alongside an increase in workers seeking full-time hours.
The figures come from two different surveys. Employers provide payroll information about jobs, hours and earnings; a separate household survey measures people’s employment status and produces the unemployment rate.
Professional and business services accounted for 70,000 additional jobs. Health care added 42,000, transportation and warehousing added 25,000, and manufacturing added 19,000, according to the federal report.
The government also revised hiring estimates upward for the preceding two months. August’s gain rose to 186,000 and September’s to 60,000, a combined increase of 84,000 over the previously reported totals.
About 7.1 million people were unemployed. The rate has stayed between 4.1 percent and 4.3 percent since March, a narrow range that the agency described as little changed.
One less encouraging measure increased: the number working part time for economic reasons rose by 339,000 to 4.8 million. These workers wanted full-time employment but had reduced hours or could not find full-time jobs.
Average hourly earnings for private-sector workers rose 14 cents to $38, an increase of 3.1 percent over the year. The average workweek was 34.4 hours; these are national averages, not an Adams County wage report.
The payroll measure counts jobs, not individual workers, so a person holding two payroll jobs can be counted twice. The next monthly federal employment report is scheduled for December 4.