Payrolls Jump 204,000 as U.S. Economy Weathers Shutdown

American employers added more workers to payrolls in October than forecast by economists, betting that the world’s largest economy would weather the impact of the federal government shutdown.

The addition of 204,000 workers followed a revised 163,000 gain in September that was larger than initially estimated, Labor Department figures showed today in Washington. The median forecast of 91 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for an increase of 120,000. The jobless rate rose to 7.3 percent from an almost five-year low.