October 2026 Jobs Report Breakdown

NATIONWIDE — Employers added 165,000 jobs in October, well above September's revised 60,000, and the unemployment rate edged down to 4.1 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday morning.

October brought four clear gainers, professional and business services, health care, transportation and warehousing, and manufacturing, plus upward revisions that added 84,000 jobs to August and September.

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📊 What the Numbers Say

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released its Employment Situation report for October 2026 at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, November 6. Every figure below is seasonally adjusted, and the October numbers are preliminary, which means they will be revised in each of the next two monthly reports.

Nonfarm payroll change, October	+165,000 (preliminary)
Unemployment rate	4.1% (4.2% in September)
Unemployed people	7.1 million
Average hourly earnings, private payrolls	$38.00, up 14 cents on the month and 3.1% over 12 months
Labor force participation rate	61.9%
Employment-population ratio	59.3%
August, revised	+186,000 (was +133,000)
September, revised	+60,000 (was +29,000)

The revisions matter as much as the headline. When BLS first reported September a month ago, it showed only 29,000 new jobs, and our September breakdown was written around that thin number. With fuller survey returns in, September now stands at 60,000 and August at 186,000. Combined, the two months are 84,000 jobs stronger than first reported.

BLS described the move in the unemployment rate, down a tenth of a percentage point, as little change. The same goes for the participation rate and the employment-population ratio, each up a tenth. The jobless rate is steady, not falling fast.

Two household-survey figures are worth a job seeker's attention. The number of people working part time because they could not find full-time work, or because their hours were cut, rose by 339,000 to 4.8 million. And 2.0 million people had been unemployed for 27 weeks or longer, which BLS said was little changed. Payrolls grew, but a meaningful number of people are still short of the hours they want.

Which Sectors Moved in October

Four industries carried the month. BLS said employment in the rest of the major industries, including construction, retail trade, information, financial activities, social assistance, leisure and hospitality, and government, showed little change.

Industry	October change
Professional and business services	+70,000
Health care	+42,000
Transportation and warehousing	+25,000
Manufacturing	+19,000

Professional and business services led with 70,000. That sector is broad: accounting and engineering firms, consultants and IT services on one side, and office support, building services and temporary staffing on the other. It was the month's biggest contributor.

Health care added 42,000. Hospitals accounted for 16,000 and home health care services for about 11,000.

Transportation and warehousing added 25,000, and couriers and messengers made up about 17,000 of it. One month is one month, but October is also when parcel carriers ramp up for peak season. If you want a seasonal role that can carry you into January, this is the sector to watch.

Manufacturing added 19,000. BLS said the sector continued to trend up. It is not a boom, but a factory sector that keeps adding jobs month after month is good news for machine operators, assemblers and maintenance techs.

Pay kept rising, too. Average hourly earnings for all private-sector employees reached $38.00, a 3.1 percent rise over the past year. That is an average across every private job in the country, managers included, so it is not a going rate for any single role.

🔎 What This Means for Your Search

The report doesn't pick a winner for you, but it does tell you where employers spent October hiring. Three practical takeaways:

Aim at the sectors that are adding. Health care hiring runs well beyond nurses. Hospitals and home health agencies need medical assistants, patient care techs, home health aides, schedulers and billing staff, and many of those roles need a short certificate rather than a degree.

Apply for peak-season work now, not in December. Courier and warehouse hiring picks up in October. Seasonal postings fill fast, so early applicants have the most openings to choose from.

Office and admin skills count. Professional and business services covers a lot of administrative work, from front desks to project coordination to staffing-agency placements. If you have office experience, it is worth searching there too.

If you're working part time and want full-time hours, you are part of that 4.8 million. Ask your current employer about added hours first, and keep a second search running in the sectors above.

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🗺️ Where to Look in Your City

These markets mix the hospital systems, distribution hubs, office employers and factories behind October's four growing sectors.

Not on the list? Find your city.

FAQ

How many jobs were added in October 2026?

Nonfarm payrolls rose by 165,000 in October 2026, seasonally adjusted, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The figure is preliminary and will be revised twice.

What is the unemployment rate for October 2026?

4.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, compared with 4.2 percent in September. BLS described the change as little change, with 7.1 million people unemployed.

Were the August and September numbers revised?

Yes, both up. August went from +133,000 to +186,000 and September from +29,000 to +60,000, a combined 84,000 more jobs than first reported.

Which industries added the most jobs in October?

Professional and business services (+70,000), health care (+42,000), transportation and warehousing (+25,000) and manufacturing (+19,000). Most other major industries were little changed.

How much did wages rise?

Average hourly earnings for private-sector employees rose 14 cents in October to $38.00, up 3.1 percent over the past 12 months. That is an all-jobs average, not the pay for any one role.

Does a strong jobs report mean it's easier to get hired?

It helps in the sectors that are adding, but one month doesn't change the whole market. Target health care, logistics, office support and manufacturing, and apply early for seasonal roles.

Put October's Hiring to Work

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October 2026 Jobs Report: 165,000 Jobs Added and Where the Hiring Is