Payroll Gains Aid U.S. Expansion Before Election

American employers added more workers than forecast to payrolls in October and a rush of people entering the labor force pushed the jobless rate higher, according to the last report on the labor market before next week’s presidential election.

Broad-based gains in employment -- from car dealers and hospitals to factories and construction sites -- indicate consumers are likely to spend more freely and shore up the three-year expansion in the face of a global economic slowdown and political gridlock in Washington over taxes and spending.