The United States added 165,000 jobs in October, far above forecasts, as unemployment fell to 4.1 per cent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Friday, 6 November 2026.
Economists had expected only around 59,000 to 65,000 new jobs, so the figure — released at 8:30 a.m. ET — was a major upside surprise. Unemployment fell from 4.2 per cent in September to 4.1 per cent, with about 7.1 million people unemployed and labour-force participation at about 61.9 per cent.
The report also revised earlier months sharply upward. August was revised up to 186,000 jobs from 133,000, and September to 60,000 from 29,000 — a combined upward revision of 84,000 jobs. The picture of the jobs market is considerably stronger than it looked a month ago.
Average hourly earnings rose to 38 dollars, up 0.4 per cent on the month and 3.1 per cent year on year. Job gains were led by professional and business services, health care, and transportation and warehousing.
Traders reacted quickly, raising the odds of a December Federal Reserve rate hike to about 80 per cent, from about 70 per cent before the report. The next jobs report is due on Friday, 4 December, with October inflation data due on Tuesday, 10 November.
It was a week of big numbers in America, from the Nasdaq plunging 5.5 per cent as chip stocks crashed to the space world, where NASA named a new JPL deputy director. The jobs report was the week’s biggest beat.
Bhudev Bhagaliya is an experienced and senior journalist who has carved a distinct niche for himself in the world of Hindi journalism through his profound understanding and precise writing style. With over two decades of experience in the field of journalism, he has held key responsibilities at Dainik Hindustan for 12 years and at Amar Ujala for one year. Currently, he serves as the Content Editor for the Jagrook Youth News newspaper and portal, where he plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and credibility of the news content. Bhudev Bhagaliya consistently writes about issues that help raise awareness within society and among the younger generation.