Americans on Friday morning get one last look at the economy before next week’s historic presidential election.
The Labor Department will publish the monthly jobs report at 8:30 a.m. ET Friday.
Economists expect that 177,000 jobs were created in October and that the unemployment rate hit 4.9%, according to a CNNMoney survey.
That would be slightly better than September’s gain of 156,000 jobs and a 5% unemployment rate.
Jobs and the economy are at the top of many voters’ minds.
The Labor Department’s jobs report has also been a target of Donald Trump, who called the official unemployment rate a “hoax” in August.
Here’s a snapshot of the U.S. job market:
1. America has added jobs for 72 consecutive months.
2. The unemployment rate is 5%, down from a peak of 10% in 2009.
3. Wage growth has been very slow for years following the Great Recession. This year, it’s finally rising, albeit at a gradual pace.
