Commissioner's Statement on the Employment Situation News Release — 2010-11-05

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 rose by 151,000 in October. The unemployment rate remained at 9.6 percent and has been essentially unchanged since May. Since December 2009, nonfarm payroll employment has risen by 874,000, and private-sector employment has increased by 1.1 million. Within the service-providing sector, temporary help services added 35,000 jobs over the month, bringing total job gains since September 2009 to 451,000. Employment in computer systems design and related services rose by 8,000 in October; this industry has added 53,000 jobs since June 2009. Health care employment continued to increase (+24,000) in October, with gains throughout the industry. Within leisure and hospitality, job losses in arts, entertainment, and recreation (-26,000) offset gains in food services and drinking places (+24,000).