# US payrolls rise 165,000 in October; unemployment 4.1% > US employers added 165,000 jobs in October 2026 and the unemployment rate was 4.1%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics says. August and September were revised up by a combined 84,000. - Canonical URL: https://forextradingcommunity.com/news/us-payrolls-rise-165000-october-2026/ - Type: Data - Published: 2026-11-06 - Updated: 2026-11-06 - Publisher: Forex Trading Community (https://forextradingcommunity.com), FTC Editorial Team - Currencies: USD Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 165,000 in October 2026, and the unemployment rate changed little at 4.1%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on 6 November 2026 ([Employment Situation, October 2026](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_11062026.htm)). The gain was larger than the average monthly gain of 48,000 over the previous 12 months. ## Key figures, October 2026 (seasonally adjusted) - **Nonfarm payrolls**: up 165,000 - **Unemployment rate**: 4.1%, within the 4.1% to 4.3% range it has held since March - **Unemployed people**: 7.1 million - **Average hourly earnings**: up 14 cents, or 0.4%, to $38.00; up 3.1% over 12 months - **Average workweek**: 34.4 hours, unchanged - **Participation rate**: 61.9%; employment-population ratio 59.3% ## Where the jobs were Professional and business services added 70,000 jobs, well above its average monthly gain of 15,000 over the previous 12 months. Health care added 42,000, led by hospitals (16,000) and home health care services (11,000). Transportation and warehousing added 25,000, including 17,000 at couriers and messengers. Manufacturing continued to trend up (19,000) and has added 101,000 jobs since a recent low in December 2025. Construction, retail trade, financial activities, leisure and hospitality, government and the other major industries changed little. In the household survey, the number of people working part time for economic reasons rose by 339,000 to 4.8 million. The long-term unemployed, those out of work for 27 weeks or more, numbered 2.0 million, or 27.6% of all unemployed people. ## Revisions The change for August was revised up by 53,000, from 133,000 to 186,000, and the change for September by 31,000, from 29,000 to 60,000. With these revisions, employment in the two months combined is 84,000 higher than previously reported. September's first estimate is in [US employers add just 29,000 jobs in September](/news/us-jobs-report-september-2026-payrolls/). ## Context and next release ADP's count of private-sector jobs, published on 4 November, showed a rise of 86,000 in October, with September revised from 90,000 to 86,000 ([ADP, 4 November 2026](https://mediacenter.adp.com/2026-11-04-ADP-National-Employment-Report-Private-Sector-Employment-Increased-by-86,000-Jobs-in-October)). The two counts use different data and often differ. Job openings for September were reported on 3 November: [US job openings little changed at 7.5 million](/news/us-job-openings-7-5-million-september-2026/). The Federal Reserve last held rates on 28 October ([Fed decision](/news/fed-holds-rates-28-october-2026-two-dissent-for-a-hike/)). The November report is scheduled for Friday 4 December 2026 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. For how traders approach the release, see [how to trade non-farm payrolls](/news/how-to-trade-non-farm-payrolls/). Live prices: [EUR/USD](/markets/eur-usd/). ## Sources - [Bureau of Labor Statistics: The Employment Situation, October 2026 (USDL-26-1632), 6 November 2026](https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/empsit_11062026.htm) - [ADP: National Employment Report, October 2026, 4 November 2026](https://mediacenter.adp.com/2026-11-04-ADP-National-Employment-Report-Private-Sector-Employment-Increased-by-86,000-Jobs-in-October) ## Common questions ### How many jobs did the US add in October 2026? Nonfarm payrolls rose by 165,000 in October 2026, and the unemployment rate was 4.1%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics on 6 November 2026. ### Were earlier months revised in the October 2026 jobs report? Yes. August was revised up from 133,000 to 186,000 and September from 29,000 to 60,000, a combined 84,000 more jobs than first reported. ### When is the next US jobs report? The November 2026 report is scheduled for Friday 4 December 2026 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. --- This article is for information only and is not financial advice. Trading forex and CFDs carries a high risk of losing money.