Economy Adds 156K Jobs; Unemployment Rate Rises to 5 Percent

iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — The  U.S. Department of Labor Friday released its monthly jobs report, which showed decent job growth, but a slightly higher unemployment rate.

U.S. employers added 156,000 jobs in September, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In September, the unemployment rate rose to 5.0 percent from 4.9 percent in the prior month. The increase is likely because more people are returning to job searching. The unemployment rate only accounts for people actively seeking jobs. When people give up and stop looking, they’re not counted.

Professional and business services, health care, food services and retail added the most jobs last month.

Average hourly earnings increased 0.2 percent in September.

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