Employers added 110,000 jobs in October

The ADP report comes two days ahead of the release of government figures, which measure net growth of public- and private-sector employment.

Although job growth is expected — potentially upward of 125,000 jobs according to estimates — it’s likely the unemployment rate will remain stuck at 9.1 percent. The jobless rate has been hovering around at least 9 percent since April.

Jobs in the service sector — which employs 90 percent of the workforce — increased by 114,000 in October.

Although the increase is down a bit from 122,000 in September, this uptick marks more than 20 consecutive months of employment gains.

Employment in the private, goods-producing sector declined by 4,000 in October, while manufacturing employment declined by 8,000.

Employment on small payrolls — those with 49 workers of fewer — rose 58,000 in October, down from the 64,000 jobs created last month. 

Medium-sized businesses — those with 50 to 499 workers — added 53,000 jobs, while employment on large payrolls, those with 500 or more workers, declined by 1,000.

Employment in the construction industry fell 1,000 in October, bringing the total decrease in construction employment since its peak in January 2007 to 2.13 million.

In a separate report, planned job cuts plunged in October, according to a report released Wednesday by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. 

The number of cuts dropped 63 percent last month to 42,759, the lowest monthly total since June.

Although there are some small improvements, the labor market is struggling to recover. 

Layoffs are running ahead of last year — 16 percent higher through the first 10 months of 2011 — as the economy has stagnated. 

Long-term unemployment remains a problem, with approximately 31.8 percent of the jobless — about 4.4 million people — out of work for a year or more in the third quarter, according to a report from Pew’s Fiscal Analysis Initiative released Wednesday.

This percentage has nearly doubled since the third quarter of 2009, when just 16 percent of the unemployed were out of work for a year or longer, the report shows. 

As the challenge of long-term unemployment continues, federal spending on unemployment benefits is now projected to total $120 billion in fiscal year 2011.

Unemployment persists across age and education groups. 

Workers who are older than 55 are most likely to remain out of work for a year or longer.

Although workers with a higher level of education are less likely to lose their jobs in the first place, their long-term unemployment percentages are similar to others with less education: Thirty-four percent of unemployed bachelor’s degree holders have been out of work for a year or more, compared to 38 percent of high school graduates and 39 percent of high school drop-outs, the Pew report shows.