Payrolls rose 165,000 in October as unemployment held at 4.1%
Professional and business services, health care and transportation and warehousing added jobs, with the unemployment rate at 4.1 percent after changing little.
Key takeaways
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics said total nonfarm payrolls rose by 165,000 in October, while the unemployment rate changed little at 4.1 percent.
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 165,000 in October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said today. The agency said the unemployment rate changed little, at 4.1 percent.
Employment increased in professional and business services, in health care, and in transportation and warehousing. In the establishment survey, professional and business services added 70,000 jobs, health care and social assistance added 55.1 thousand, and transportation and warehousing added 24.8 thousand over the month.
The unemployment rate was 4.2 percent in September and 4.1 percent in October, a change of -0.1 percentage points as the table shows. The labor force rose by 421,000 and employment rose by 463,000 over the month, according to the household survey.
Payroll gains over the three months ending in October averaged 137,000 a month, the BLS data show. Average hourly earnings for private employees reached $38.00 in October, up from $37.86 in September. The figures are preliminary, and the data reflect March 2025 benchmark levels.