New York (CNN Business) Anyone with jitters about the US economy got an unexpected surprise on Friday.

US employers added 128,000 jobs in October, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its monthly jobs report.

Meanwhile, the unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.6%, but it was for a good reason: 325,000 Americans started looking for work.

While the October report did show that US manufacturers lost 36,000 jobs last month, BLS Commissioner William Beach noted the decline largely reflected strike activity. If it hadn't been for the strike, the report would have shown a gain in factory jobs, said Marvin Loh, senior market strategist at State Street.

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