Employers in professional and business services, which tend to offer higher pay, led U.S. hiring gains in September with 67,000 added jobs. That category includes positions like management and technical consulting, accounting and administrative services.
Also posting gains were retail, which added 22,000 jobs, and health care, which added 33,000. Construction rebounded in September with 23,000 additional jobs after having lost ground in August. Restaurants and bars extended their winning streak with nearly 30,000 added jobs.
Employment in mining was flat in September, suggesting that job losses in the battered industry may be moderating. The sector has been hit hard by falling oil prices and has lost more than 107,000 jobs in the past year.
Manufacturing lost ground for a third straight month, shedding 13,000 jobs in September. American factories have been hurt not only by the cutbacks in the energy industry but also by a strong dollar, which has depressed export sales.
Overall, employers added 156,000 jobs in September. The unemployment rate ticked up to 5 percent from 4.9 percent.