THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION - OCTOBER 2026


Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 165,000 in October, and the unemployment rate changed 
little at 4.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment increased in 
professional and business services, in health care, and in transportation and warehousing.

This news release presents statistics from two monthly surveys. The household survey measures labor 
force status, including unemployment, by demographic characteristics. The establishment survey 
measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry. For more information about the 
concepts and statistical methodology used in these two surveys, see the Technical Note.

Household Survey Data

Both the unemployment rate, at 4.1 percent, and the number of unemployed people, at 7.1 million, 
changed little in October. The unemployment rate has remained in a narrow range of 4.1 percent to 
4.3 percent since March. (See table A-1.)

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates showed little or no change in October for 
adult men (3.9 percent), adult women (3.6 percent), teenagers (13.9 percent), and people who are 
White (3.7 percent), Black (6.6 percent), Asian (2.8 percent), or Hispanic (4.7 percent). (See 
tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more), at 2.0 million, changed 
little over the month. The long-term unemployed accounted for 27.6 percent of all unemployed 
people. (See table A-12.)

Both the labor force participation rate, at 61.9 percent, and the employment-population ratio, at 
59.3 percent, changed little in October. These measures have shown little net change since January. 
(See table A-1.)

The number of people employed part time for economic reasons increased by 339,000 to 4.8 million in 
October. These individuals would have preferred full-time employment but were working part time 
because their hours had been reduced or they were unable to find full-time jobs. (See table A-8.)

In October, the number of people not in the labor force who currently want a job changed little at 
6.0 million. These individuals were not counted as unemployed because they were not actively 
looking for work during the 4 weeks preceding the survey or were unavailable to take a job. (See 
table A-1.)

Among those not in the labor force who wanted a job, the number of people marginally attached to 
the labor force changed little at 1.6 million in October. These individuals wanted and were 
available for work and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months but had not looked for 
work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. The number of discouraged workers, a subset of the 
marginally attached who believed that no jobs were available for them, also changed little over 
the month at 448,000. (See Summary table A.)

Establishment Survey Data

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 165,000 in October, higher than the average monthly gain 
of 48,000 over the prior 12 months. In October, employment increased in professional and business 
services, in health care, and in transportation and warehousing. (See table B-1.)

Employment in professional and business services increased by 70,000 in October, well above the 
average monthly gain of 15,000 over the prior 12 months. In October, employment continued to trend 
up in professional, scientific, and technical services (+33,000), in administrative and support and 
waste management and remediation services (+28,000), and in management of companies and enterprises 
(+9,000). Professional and business services has added 269,000 jobs since a recent low in October 
2025.

Health care added 42,000 jobs in October, higher than the average monthly gain of 31,000 over the 
prior 12 months. In October, employment gains occurred in hospitals (+16,000), home health care 
services (+11,000), and outpatient care centers (+5,000). 

In October, transportation and warehousing added 25,000 jobs, reflecting growth in couriers and 
messengers (+17,000) and air transportation (+4,000). Transportation and warehousing has added 
104,000 jobs since a recent employment low in February, with couriers and messengers (+71,000) 
contributing most of the gain. 

Manufacturing employment continued to trend up in October (+19,000) and has increased by 101,000 
since a recent low in December 2025. In October, job gains occurred in computer and electronic 
product manufacturing (+7,000), machinery manufacturing (+4,000), and primary metal manufacturing 
(+4,000). 

Employment showed little change over the month in other major industries, including mining, 
quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; construction; wholesale trade; retail trade; information; 
financial activities; social assistance; leisure and hospitality; other services; and government.

In October, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 14 
cents, or 0.4 percent, to $38.00. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased 
by 3.1 percent. In October, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory 
employees rose by 12 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $32.75. (See tables B-3 and B-8.)

The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls remained at 34.4 hours in 
October. In manufacturing, the average workweek was unchanged at 40.5 hours, and overtime edged up 
by 0.1 hour to 3.1 hours. The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory employees on 
private nonfarm payrolls declined by 0.1 hour to 33.8 hours. (See tables B-2 and B-7.)

The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for August was revised up by 53,000, from +133,000 
to +186,000, and the change for September was revised up by 31,000, from +29,000 to +60,000. With 
these revisions, employment in August and September combined is 84,000 higher than previously 
reported. (Monthly revisions result from additional reports received from businesses and government 
agencies since the last published estimates and from the recalculation of seasonal factors.)

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The Employment Situation for November 2026 is scheduled to be published on Friday, December 4, 
2026, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).