Commissioner's Statement on the Employment Situation News Release — 2016-11-04

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 Daylight Time. Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 161,000 in October, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 4.9 percent. Employment continued to trend up in health care, professional and business services, and financial activities. Thus far this year, nonfarm job growth has averaged 181,000 per month, compared with an average gain of 229,000 per month in 2015. Incorporating revisions for August and September, which increased nonfarm payroll employment by 44,000, monthly job gains have averaged 176,000 over the past 3 months. In October, health care employment rose by 31,000, with gains in ambulatory health care services (+19,000) and hospitals (+13,000). Over the year, health care has added 415,000 jobs.