US Payrolls Jump by 165,000 as AI Needs Fuel Demand for Consultants

Hiring in the United States accelerated sharply in October. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 165,000 jobs, according to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The result easily outpaced the 59,000 jobs projected by economists surveyed by Dow Jones.

Consulting Roles Reach All-Time High

Fears that artificial intelligence would eliminate white-collar jobs were challenged by a jump in business advisory roles. Management, scientific, and technical consulting added 17,300 jobs between September and October. This marked the largest monthly increase for the group in almost two years.

Over the past year, consulting payrolls rose by more than 45,000 positions. This pushed total employment in the category above 1.9 million for the first time. The gains accounted for a quarter of all new jobs in the broader professional and business services sector.

Economists believe companies are taking on outside specialists to help deploy artificial intelligence tools. While Wall Street has worried about AI replacing consultants, research from Moody’s Analytics indicates that the technology has driven a net increase of 786,000 jobs since November 2022, partly via data center expansion.

Temporary Staffing and Election Push

Temporary help services also supported the October surge, adding 18,600 jobs. That was one of the largest monthly jumps in the category since 2022. Economists monitor temporary staffing closely because businesses often test short-term employees before offering full-time positions. However, analysts note this boost could reflect retailers starting holiday recruitment earlier than usual. Delivery couriers and messengers made up over 10% of total jobs added in the month.

Campaign spending ahead of midterm elections provided another lift. Political organizations historically expand staffing in October. Analysts noted that record-setting funding for the 2026 congressional races likely paid for thousands of campaign field workers and organizers.