The United States added 204,000 jobs in October, even as the federal government was partially shut down for 16 days during the same period.
The percentage of Americans looking for work, however, fell to a 35-year low, News.com.au reports.
The U.S. Labour Department said that the unemployment rate rose to 7.3 percent from 7.2 percent in September.
However, that figure was likely distorted by the shutdown as federal workers on unpaid leave were counted as unemployed, the report added.
The report also showed that the shutdown did not affect total jobs, as employers added an average of 202,000 jobs from August through October, which was up from 146,000 jobs from May through July.
