Commissioner's Statement on the Employment Situation News Release — 2014-11-07

Advance copies of this statement are made available to the press under lock-up conditions with the explicit understanding that the data are embargoed until 8:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 214,000 in October, and the unemployment rate edged down to 5.8 percent. Employment rose in food services and drinking places, retail trade, and health care. Incorporating revisions for August and September, which increased total nonfarm payroll employment by 31,000, monthly job increases have averaged 224,000 over the past 3 months. In the 12 months prior to October, employment growth averaged 222,000 per month. In the service-providing sector, food services and drinking places added 42,000 jobs in October, compared with an average monthly gain of 26,000 over the prior 12 months. Employment in retail trade increased by 27,000 in October. Job gains occurred in general merchandise stores (+12,000) and automobile dealers (+4,000).