Washington (United States) (AFP) – The United States created 165,000 jobs in October, far exceeding analyst expectations, while unemployment fell to 4.1%, according to government data published this Friday.

First modification: 06/11/2026 - 16:05

The relative stability of the labor market has allowed the US Federal Reserve, which has the dual mandate of keeping inflation at the long-term goal of 2% and seeking full employment, to prioritize price control.

These October employment data give Fed members encouragement to raise interest rates, a measure that would go against the wishes of President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly called for rate cuts.

Analysts expected 65,000 new jobs to be created and the unemployment rate to remain at 4.2%, according to a consensus compiled by Briefing.com.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) also revised up August and September job gains by 84,000 more jobs, the department said in a statement.

"This is a strong report and a clear sign of momentum in the labor market," said Ger Doyle, regional president for North America at recruiting firm ManpowerGroup.

"It is clear that demand is picking up in some sectors of the economy, but we have to see how it spreads to more sectors and creates more opportunities for workers before we can talk about a more general recovery in employment," he added.

The data is released a few days after the mid-term elections, in which the cost of living had a great weight among voters.

The increase in October far exceeded the average monthly increase of 48,000 jobs over the past 12 months according to the BLS.

Professional and business services led job creation, with 70,000 jobs.

The healthcare sector created 42,000 jobs, above its average monthly increase of 31,000 recorded over the last year.

This sector has been a pillar of the US labor market over the past 12 months, as the aging population requires more care both in hospitals and at home.

The average hourly earnings of all employees increased by 3.1% in the last 12 months, although salaries still cannot keep up with inflation.

© 2026 AFP

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