Employers added 165,000 jobs in October, and the unemployment rate was 4.1%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. The monthly payroll gain exceeded the average of 48,000 over the previous 12 months.
Professional and business services accounted for 70,000 additional jobs. Health care added 42,000, including 16,000 in hospitals and 11,000 in home health care. Transportation and warehousing also added jobs.
For workers already on private payrolls, the average workweek held at 34.4 hours. The national figures describe the October labor market and can be revised as additional employer reports arrive.
Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics report and Labor Department release (PDF).
