US employers add 12,000 jobs last month as hurricanes, strikes reduce payrolls

FILE - Boeing 737 Max aircrafts are seen behind fences as striking Boeing workers picket on Sept. 24, 2024, next to the company's facilities in Renton, Washington. Analysts say strikes and two hurricanes kept employers from adding many jobs in October.

America’s employers added 12,000 jobs in October, a total that economists say was held down by the effects of strikes and hurricanes that left many workers temporarily off payrolls. The report provided a somewhat blurry view of the job market at the end of a presidential race that has pivoted heavily on voters’ feelings about the economy.