Hiring spree: Professional services led the way in hiring gains in September, adding 54,000 jobs in a wide-ranging category that includes management consultants, administrative support and computer systems designers, the Labor Department said today. Construction, manufacturing, and health care also posted solid gains. Transportation and warehousing added nearly 24,000 jobs. Retail and restaurants shed jobs in September. Overall, U.S. employers added 134,000 jobs in September. Read the full story.
On the nose: The unemployment rate for Americans of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity fell to 4.5% in September, matching a record low hit in July, according to data released today from the Labor Department. At the same time, the jobless rate for white Americans edged down to 3.3%, its lowest level since December 1969. Read the full story.
Inflow: Record imports drove the U.S. trade deficit up for the third straight month in August. The deficit in the trade of goods with China and Mexico hit records. The Commerce Department said today that the trade gap—the difference between what America sells and what it buys abroad—rose to $53.2 billion in August from $50 billion in July. The August reading was the highest since February. Read the full story.
