The statements this morning buttress Borick's opinion.
Said GOP candidate Mitt Romney: "Today's increase in the unemployment rate is a sad reminder that the economy is at a virtual standstill."
Said President Obama appointee Alan B. Krueger, chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisors: "While more work remains to be done, today's employment report provides further evidence that the U.S. economy is continuing to heal from the wounds inflicted by the worst downturn since the Great Depression."
Romney's statement goes on to point out that the unemployment rate is worse than when Obama was inaugurated in January 2009, but neglects to mention that the number of jobs on the nation's payrolls has recovered beyond - albeit slightly - to where they were when Obama took office.
In January 2009, the unemployment rate was 7.8 percent and the nation's payrolls numbered 133.6 million jobs. Last month, the unemployment rate was 7.9, up from 7.8 percent in September and the nation's economy supported 133.8 million jobs.
The U.S. Labor Department also revised its August and September job changes upwards, to 192,000 jobs in August, up from 142,000 as originally reported, and 148,000 up from 114,000 in September.
"For an undecided voter, would a job report like this change a lot of minds?" Borick asked, then answered, no. "For those individuals, it is going to be about what they are seeing and experiencing right now."
For many people on the East Coast, that would be the aftermath of Sandy.
Because the U.S. Labor Department conducts its household and business surveys earlier in the month, "Hurricane Sandy had no discernible effect on the ... data for October," the department's report said.
Here are some of the highlights from Friday's report:
The 171,000 increase in jobs was primarily fueled by the private sector, which added 184,000 jobs. Government hiring declined by 13,000 with job cuts split evenly between federal and state governments.
Hiring expanded in construction, manufacturing, trade and transportation, retail, financial services, education and health, business and professional services, and leisure and hospitality. "There was good news in both construction and retail employment, consistent with the better news coming in from the housing market and with an improving consumer mood," said Nigel Gault, chief economist for IHS Global Insight, an economic analysis firm with its headquarters in Eddystone.
Labor force participation, meaning the number of people working among those of working age who aren't in jail or the military, rose slightly to 63.8 percent, while the ratio of employment to population stayed the same.
The number of unemployed people rose to 12.3 million, up from 12.1 million in October, but declined from 13.8 million a year ago.
Getting a job remains a challenge. The median duration of unemployment, which is the time most people are out of work, rose to 19.6 weeks from 18.5 in September, still down from 20.8 weeks a year ago. A persistent problem is long-term joblessness, with five million, or 40.6 percent, of the 12.3 million unemployed out of work for more than six months.
The unemployment rate among African Americans rose to 14.3 percent from 13.4 percent in September, but declined from 15 percent a year ago. The unemployment rate for Latinos was 10 percent in October, up from 9.9 percent in September, but down from 11.4 percent a year ago.
Contact Jane M. Von Bergen at jvonbergen@phillynews.com, @JaneVonBergen on Twitter, or at 215-854-2769. Read her workplace blog at www.philly.com/jobbing
