US Jobs Data Show Broad Cooling After Run of Surprise Strength

  • October payrolls rose 150,000, led by health care, government
  • Unemployment rate unexpectedly climbed to almost two-year high
A worker uses a forklift to move a pallet at a distribution warehouse in Louisville, Kentucky.Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg
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US job growth slowed by more than expected and the unemployment rate rose to an almost two-year high of 3.9%, indicating that employers’ strong demand for workers is beginning to cool.

Nonfarm payrolls increased 150,000 in October following downward revisions to the prior two months, a Bureau of Labor Statistics report showed Friday. Monthly wage growth slowed.