US employers added a surprising 165,000 jobs in October; unemployment rate dipped to 4.1%

Associated Press · Paul Wiseman · 2026-11-06 05:01 UTC

U.S. employers created a surprising 165,000 new jobs last month, and the unemployment rate dipped to 4.1%. The hiring beat the 65,000 new jobs forecasters had expected. The jobs report comes three days after voters delivered stunning defeat to President Donald Trump and his Republican Party in midterm elections. Frustrated with the state of the economy — and especially the high cost of living – Americans handed full control of Congress to the Democrats.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers created a surprising 165,000 new jobs last month, and the unemployment rate dipped to 4.1%.

Hiring was far stronger than the 65,000 new jobs that economists had expected.

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