Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 638,000 in October, and the unemployment rate declined to 6.9 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. These improvements in the labor market reflect the continued resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and efforts to contain it. In October, notable job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, retail trade, and construction. Employment in government declined. This news release presents statistics from two monthly surveys. The household survey measures labor ... (full story)

Employment growth was better than expected in October and the unemployment rate feel sharply even as the U.S. faces the challenge of surging coronavirus cases and the impact they could have on the nascent economic recovery. The Labor Department reported Friday that nonfarm payrolls increased by 638,000 and the unemployment rate was at 6.9%. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been looking for a payroll gain of 530,000 and an unemployment rate of 7.7% a touch lower than the September level of 7.9%. The jobless rate decline was positive as it came with a labor force participation rate that rose 0.3 percentage points ... (full story)