U.S. adds 165,000 jobs in October; unemployment holds at 4.1%

U.S. employers added 165,000 jobs in October, and the unemployment rate stood at 4.1%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday, Nov. 6. The payroll gain was higher than the average monthly increase of about 48,000 over the prior 12 months, BLS said in its Employment Situation release.

Where the jobs were

Employment rose in professional and business services (+70,000), well above that sector's average monthly gain of about 15,000 over the prior year. Within that group, professional, scientific, and technical services added 33,000 jobs, and administrative and support services added 28,000.

Health care added 42,000 jobs, including gains in hospitals (+16,000) and home health care services (+11,000). Transportation and warehousing rose by 25,000, led by couriers and messengers (+17,000). Manufacturing employment continued to trend up (+19,000), with gains in computer and electronic products, machinery, and primary metals. BLS said other major industries showed little change over the month.

Wages and hours

Average hourly earnings for private nonfarm employees rose 14 cents, or 0.4%, to $38.00 in October. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings are up 3.1%. The average workweek for all private employees remained 34.4 hours.

Revisions and household survey

BLS revised August payrolls up by 53,000, to +186,000, and September up by 31,000, to +60,000. Combined, employment in those two months is 84,000 higher than previously reported.

In the household survey, BLS said the unemployment rate and the number of unemployed people (7.1 million) changed little. The labor force participation rate was 61.9% and the employment-population ratio 59.3%, both little changed. The number of people employed part time for economic reasons rose by 339,000 to 4.8 million. Long-term unemployment (27 weeks or more) was about 2.0 million and changed little over the month, BLS said.

The Employment Situation for November 2026 is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — The Employment Situation, October 2026

Also: NPR; CNBC