Nonfarm U.S. payroll employment increased by 165,000 in October, blowing past economist expectations after months of tepid growth and downward revisions, per data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate also fell slightly to 4.1%.
Numbers for August and September were also revised upward by a net total of 84,000 jobs, BLS said.
Notably, professional and business service jobs were up 70,000 after months of lackluster gains.
“White-collar industries have seen increased volatility in recent months, and the rise and fall of jobs is likely an outcome of AI quickly changing role requirements, leading to increased turnover,” Nicole Bachaud, economist for ZipRecruiter, said in a statement.
Taken in combination with the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, which showed more quits in September, the job market may be showing signs of increased movement from both workers and employers, Bachaud noted.
However, not all is rosy, especially for long-term job seekers. Many have opted for part-time work out of a lack of full-time opportunities, economists said, and the duration of unemployment remains long.
“The headline strength makes it all but certain that policymakers will vote to raise key interest rates next month, which may help slow inflation but may also make continued business expansion more expensive and/or slower,” Cory Stahle, senior economist for Indeed Hiring Lab, said in a statement.
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Most-clicked story of the week
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission voted at the end of October to rescind its guidance regarding conviction and arrest records in employment decisions. The original guidance cautioned employers on considering such in hiring decisions and provided best practices for screening applicants with criminal histories.
“Rescinding this guidance does not give employers license to engage in unlawful discrimination,” EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas said in a statement following the vote.
Number of the week: 11%
The percentage of workers who said they may take time off or tweak their schedules for the release of video game Grand Theft Auto VI. A previous report claimed that Nov. 19 — the release date for GTA 6 — could be a “billion-dollar sick day” not unlike the Monday after the Super Bowl.
Quote of the week
“I sought out workplace accommodations because using AI violates my deeply held Humanist beliefs which demand I take personal responsibility for the morality of my actions.”
A humanist employee
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky approved a religious accommodation for a humanist employee regarding artificial intelligence tool use after determining he could still perform the essential functions of his job, a UK spokesperson said in a statement. Religious accommodation around AI may increase as its use becomes more commonly expected at work — and because of changing case law around religious accommodation that expects employers to fulfill a higher burden of proof to show undue hardship under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
