Hiring gains outpace the recent average
U.S. employers added 165,000 payroll jobs in October 2026, exceeding the preceding 12-month average of 48,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ November 6 release. Unemployment held nearly steady at 4.1%. Employment Situation Summary - 2026 M10 Results
The stronger monthly reading came alongside revisions to earlier estimates. BLS raised August’s gain to 186,000 and September’s to 60,000, adding a combined 84,000 jobs to the previously reported totals. Employment Situation Summary - 2026 M10 Results
Professional and business services supplied 70,000 additional jobs, compared with its prior 12-month monthly average of 15,000. Health care employment grew by 42,000, while transportation and warehousing added 25,000. BLS reported little monthly employment change in construction and retail trade. Employment Situation Summary - 2026 M10 Results
What the figures mean for property markets
The Basis analysis: Professional and business services accounted for approximately 42.4% of October’s net payroll increase. That concentration makes the sector an important part of the report for office owners assessing potential tenant growth, but the national employment figures do not establish additional space requirements or signed leasing activity. Employment Situation Summary - 2026 M10 Results
The labor-market picture was not uniformly stronger. BLS reported that the number of people working part time for economic reasons rose by 339,000 to 4.8 million. Those workers wanted full-time employment but faced reduced hours or could not find full-time positions. Employment Situation Summary - 2026 M10 Results
BLS is scheduled to release November’s employment report on December 4 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time. Employment Situation Summary - 2026 M10 Results
