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WASHINGTON (AP) — Hiring strengthened across a number of sectors in October, including construction, manufacturing and health care, amid strong demand for workers and rising wages.
Construction added 30,000 jobs. Manufacturing gained 32,000 — its biggest monthly jump since December — defying concerns, at least so far, that trade tensions would dampen job growth.
Education and health services added 44,000 jobs as hospitals, doctors' offices and nursing care facilities expanded staffing. The category that includes restaurants and bars rebounded sharply after a flat September, adding 42,000.
Overall, U.S. employers added 250,000 jobs in October, and wages grew at their fastest year-over-year pace since 2009. The unemployment rate held steady at 3.7 percent, the Labor Department said.
| Industry (change from previous month) | October 2018 September 2018 Past 12 months | ||
| Construction | 30,000 | 20,000 | 330,000 |
| Manufacturing | 32,000 | 18,000 | 296,000 |
| Retail | 2,400 | -32,400 | 36,600 |
| Transportation, warehousing | 24,800 | 20,800 | 183,700 |
| Information (Telecom, publishing) | 7,000 | -4,000 | -15,000 |
| Financial services | 7,000 | 15,000 | 115,000 |
| Professional services (Accounting, engineering, temp work) | 35,000 | 46,000 | 516,000 |
| Education and health | 44,000 | 26,000 | 499,000 |
| Hotels, restaurants, entertainment | 42,000 | 0 | 254,000 |
| Government | 4,000 | -3,000 | 66,000 |
| Source: Labor Department |
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