October jobs report 2026: U.S. payrolls rise by 165,000
U.S. employers added 165,000 jobs in October, while prior months were revised higher and the unemployment rate held at 4.1%.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
The October jobs report 2026 delivered a stronger-than-expected hiring figure: U.S. employers added 165,000 jobs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday. The unemployment rate was 4.1%, which the agency said changed little during the month.
The payroll total landed well above forecast estimates cited in supplied reports. CBS News, in a report republished by Yahoo Finance, said FactSet’s economist survey had projected 65,000 jobs, while Gray DC reported that a Dow Jones survey forecast 59,000.
The BLS also revised the previous two months upward. August payroll growth was raised from 133,000 to 186,000, and September’s figure rose from 29,000 to 60,000. Together, those revisions added 84,000 jobs to the earlier estimates.
What drove the October jobs report 2026 gain?
Professional and business services led the reported October gains, adding 70,000 jobs, according to the BLS. Health care added 42,000 jobs, transportation and warehousing gained 25,000, and manufacturing added 19,000.
The 165,000 increase was above the average monthly gain of 48,000 over the preceding 12 months, the BLS said. Employment changed little in several other major industries, including construction, retail, financial activities, leisure and hospitality, and government.
Workers’ average hourly earnings on private nonfarm payrolls rose 14 cents in October, a 0.4% increase to $38.00, according to the agency. Earnings were 3.1% higher than a year earlier. The average private-sector workweek stayed at 34.4 hours.
What else did the October employment data show?
The report also carried signs of difficulty for some workers. The number of people working part time for economic reasons increased by 339,000 to 4.8 million. That category includes people who wanted full-time work but had reduced hours or could not find full-time jobs, the BLS said.
There were 2 million people unemployed for 27 weeks or longer in October, accounting for 27.6% of unemployed people. The BLS put the overall number of unemployed people at 7.1 million.
The agency said the labor-force participation rate, at 61.9%, and the employment-population ratio, at 59.3%, showed little change in October. The next monthly employment report, covering November, is scheduled for Dec. 4.
This story draws on original reporting from CBS News.