US adds 165,000 jobs in October, well above forecasts

Argus Media · Argus Media · 2026-11-06 15:16 UTC

The US added 165,000 jobs in October, more than double the forecasts, and revisions for the prior two months put the labor market on a stronger trajectory than previously estimated.

The US added 165,000 jobs in October, more than double the forecasts, and revisions for the prior two months put the labor market on a stronger trajectory than previously estimated.

Job growth in October compared with an upwardly revised 60,000 for September, from a prior 29,000, while August was revised up to 186,000 from 133,000, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported. That puts the three-month average at about 137,000 jobs, compared with 28,000 for the three months through July.

The stronger-than-expected jobs number could give the Federal Reserve more room to concentrate on bringing down inflation, with the labor market appearing more resilient than it did earlier this year. The Fed hiked its target rate by a quarter point to 3.75-4pc at its meeting in September, the first hike since mid-2023, and held it unchanged in October.

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