Companies took on 171,000 workers in October, better than the 125,000 expected, according to the widely-anticipated monthly jobs report from the Bureau of Labor. The number of Americans hired in August and September was revised up by 84,000. Economists said relief that the labour market is stronger than previously thought overshadowed a rise in the unemployment rate to 7.9pc from 7.8pc. The rate rose as more people began looking for work.
Although there was encouragement taken from the performance over the last three months, that was tempered by a recognition that the recovery in the jobs market remains slow by historical standards.
The rate of job growth "still isn't great but, it sustained, it should be enough to bring the unemployment rate gradually lower over time," said Paul Ashworth, an economist at Capital Economics.