Unemployment Steady at 3.6% in October

Washington, DC, November 1, 2019-Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 128,000 in October, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 3.6%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. Notable job gains occurred in food services and drinking places, social assistance, and financial activities.

Within manufacturing, employment in motor vehicles and parts decreased due to strike activity. Federal government employment was down, reflecting a drop in the number of temporary jobs for the 2020 Census. 

Both the unemployment rate, at 3.6%, and the number of unemployed persons, at 5.9 million, changed little in October.