U.S. adds 165,000 jobs in October as unemployment stands at 4.1%

November 6, 2026. U.S. nonfarm payroll employment rose by 165,000 in October, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The unemployment rate stood at 4.1%, a change the agency characterized as little changed.

Professional and business services added 70,000 jobs, health care 42,000, and transportation and warehousing 25,000. Average hourly earnings rose 3.1% from a year earlier.

Why it matters

Hiring exceeded the prior 12-month average of 48,000 jobs a month. Labor demand shapes how households, businesses and policymakers assess the economic outlook and interest rates.

Rockstar Briefing analysis

The monthly gain indicates resilient labor demand but does not capture the circumstances of everyone looking for work. Some 4.8 million people worked part time for economic reasons in October; wages, inflation and coming reports merit attention before anticipating a Federal Reserve decision.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Featured image: AI-generated illustration.