Dive Brief:

• The United States economy appears to be steeling itself quite well in the face of global economic sputters as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday that the unemployment rate fell to 5.8% and employers added 214,000 jobs. Numbers for August and September were also revised, showing 31,000 more jobs than reported previously.

• Retail employers added 27,000 jobs in October, 12,000 of those in general retail.

• Wages were a different story, still mostly showing stagnation and failing to reach pre-recession levels. Hourly wages rose just $.03 in October, and were only 2% higher than last October.

Dive Insight:

The October employment news continues to paint a picture of an American economy that is gaining strength. But most consumers aren’t seeing a correlative boost in their wages. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, in another report released Thursday, found that while productivity grew at a 2% annual rate in Q3, labor costs increases remained slight at 0.3%. That continues a situation of stagnant wage growth in the U.S. that is likely keeping consumers keen on discounts to help them curb spending and is probably behind this week's vote in five states and San Francisco to boost the minimum wage.