U.S. employers likely stepped up hiring in September and the jobless rate probably held at a six-year low, which could bolster bets on a Federal Reserve rate hike in mid-2015. Economists polled by Reuters expect U.S. non-farm payrolls rose by 215,000 last month, with the jobless rate staying at 6.1 percent. Hiring had faltered in August but a range of signs from robust retail sales to optimism among factory managers point to a level of economic vigor unseen since before the 2007-09 recession. "What we see is a measured confidence. The business sector is now much more likely to hire even before there is a fall in their ... (full story)