Comparing New Jobs Numbers To Economic Reality

06:50

November 08, 2013

Job applicants arrive for an internship job fair held by the Miami Marlins, at Marlins Park in Miami, Oct. 23, 2013. (Lynne Sladky/AP)

The October jobs numbers are out and 204,000 jobs were added, exceeding economists expectations by more than 80,000 jobs.

The unemployment rate went up to 7.3 percent from 7.2 percent in September, but that increase could be connected to the 16-day partial government shutdown last month.

So how reliable are the jobs numbers as an indicator for how the economy is really doing?

NPR's senior business editor Marilyn Geewax shares her analysis with Here & Now's Meghna Chakrabarti.

Marilyn Geewax / NPR: What Really Got Measured In This Month's Jobs Report?

Guest

Marilyn Geewax, senior business editor for NPR. She tweets @geewaxnpr.

This segment aired on November 8, 2013.