# U.S. payrolls rise by 165,000 in October as unemployment holds at 4.1%

> The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported stronger monthly job growth in October, led by professional and business services, health care, and transportation and warehousing.

Source page: https://stoqly.net/news/us-october-2026-jobs-report

- **Published:** 2026-11-07T12:07:00+00:00
- **Section:** Week in review

U.S. nonfarm payroll employment rose by 165,000 in October, while the unemployment rate changed little at 4.1%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Nov. 6. The number of unemployed people was 7.1 million.

Professional and business services added 70,000 jobs, well above its average monthly gain of 15,000 over the prior 12 months. Health care added 42,000 jobs, compared with an average monthly gain of 31,000 over the same period. Transportation and warehousing employment also increased.

The 165,000 payroll increase was higher than the average monthly gain of 48,000 over the prior 12 months. BLS said professional and business services had added 269,000 jobs since a recent low in October 2025. The labor-force participation rate was 61.9% and the employment-population ratio was 59.3%, both little changed in October.

The report also showed that people working part time for economic reasons increased by 339,000 to 4.8 million. BLS said the unemployment rate has remained in a narrow 4.1% to 4.3% range since March, indicating a labor market with solid monthly hiring but limited movement in the headline unemployment rate.

**Why it matters** October hiring exceeded the prior-year monthly average, but the stable unemployment rate and rise in involuntary part-time work point to a mixed labor-market picture rather than a broad acceleration.

- Payroll gain: +165,000 October
- Unemployment: 4.1% October
- Unemployed people: 7.1M October
- Long-term share: 27.6% of unemployed

- [BLS Employment Situation — October 2026, released Nov. 6, 2026](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_11062026.htm)
- [BLS Major Economic Indicators Latest Numbers, accessed Nov. 7, 2026](https://www.bls.gov/bls/)

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