U.S. employment increased more than expected in October as the headwind from the surge in COVID-19 infections over the summer subsided, offering more evidence that economic activity was regaining momentum early in the fourth quarter.
Non-farm payrolls increased by 5,31,000 jobs last month, the Labour Department said in its closely- watched employment report on Friday.
Data for September was revised higher to show 3,12,000 jobs created instead of the previously reported 1,94,000.
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Economists polled by
Still, the report joined rising consumer confidence and services sector activity in painting a more favourable picture of the economy, after the Delta variant of the coronavirus and economy-wide shortages of goods restrained growth in the third quarter to its slowest pace in more than a year.
The unemployment rate fell to 4.6% from 4.8% in September.
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About five million people have left the labour force since the pandemic started.