Good Jobs Rate Up From September, Highest Measured For October

The October Gallup Good Jobs (GGJ) rate was 46.4 percent, up from 45.6 percent in September and higher than any GGJ rate recorded for the month of October since Gallup began tracking this measure in 2010. The GGJ rate declining from the record-high 47.1 percent in July -- but rising from last month's 45.6 percent -- is in line with typical seasonal patterns. GGJ typically peaks in June and July with summer employment and then drops in the fall, with a limited uptick in October.

The percentage of U.S. adults who participated in the workforce in October in any capacity -- by working full time, working part time or not working but actively seeking and being available for work -- was 68.4 percent, up almost a full percentage point from 67.5 percent in September.

The unadjusted U.S. unemployment rate in October was 5.1 percent, down from 5.4 percent in September and tied for the lowest reading since began tracking it in 2010. The measure of underemployment in October was 12.7 percent, down nominally from 12.9 percent in September.

The good jobs measure in October 2016 was the highest in any October since Gallup began tracking it in 2010. That continues the trend seen over the last 12 months, as the GGJ rate has hit a new high each month since November 2015 compared with the same month a year prior in Gallup's trend. That includes the high point across all months of 47.1 percent in July.