October jobs report is expected to show a pickup in hiring

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER
AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — After two disappointing months of hiring, a key question overhanging Friday’s U.S. jobs report for October will be whether companies found more success this time in filling millions of open positions. Economists have forecast that employers added roughly 400,000 jobs last month, according to a survey of economists by data provider FactSet. That would be a stronger showing than the average monthly gain of 280,000 in August and September, though well below the vigorous increases of about 1 million jobs each in June and July. The unemployment rate is expected to fall from 4.8% to 4.7%.