A TOTAL of 336,000 jobs was added in September in the U.S. (Shutterstock)..

Defying predictions that the U.S. economy was going to slow down, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced Friday that employers added 336,000 jobs in September. 

The national unemployment rate sits at 3.8 percent; historically 4 percent is considered full employment, that is, everyone who wants a job and is qualified can get one.

September’s job gains are the highest of the year, except in January when 472,000 more jobs were added. according to the Associated Press

However, robust labor gains are sometimes associated with the threat of inflation. In an effort to control rising prices, the Federal Reserve has been ratcheting up interest rates all year, 11 times since 2022. The current rate is 5.4 percent.

New Speaker: Jordan or Scalise or Trump?

The ouster of Kevin McCarthy (R-California) from the post of Speaker of the House of Representatives has created a remarkable group of possible replacements.

JIM JORDAN (Wikipedia).

Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has emerged as a contender for the position, which is third in order of succession to the presidency. Jordan is considered a “hard-right” conservative who criticized former Republican speakers such as Paul Ryan and John Boehner.

According to The New York Times, the other top contender is Rep. Steve Scalise (R-Louisiana).

A third possibility is former president Donald Trump, still popular among Republicans. The Constitution does not specifically require that the speaker be an elected representative. 

GM agrees to bring in EV battery workers

ELECTRIC cars are gaining popularity (Tesla).

The strike by members of the United Auto Workers against the “Big Three” automobile manufacturers isn’t over, but the union is claiming a major victory.

United Press International is reporting that GM has agreed to bring its electrical vehicle battery workers under the UAW contract, which would increase the union’s strength and membership.

Union president Shawn Fain said Friday that the UAW was just about to strike a plant in Arlington, Texas when GM agreed to begin the transition of the EV workers.

Weather: Thermometer falling

Partly cloudy conditions will remain in place for our West Orange County area for the coming days, and the thermometer will be taking the elevator down for a while. The forecast for Saturday is for a daytime high of 88 and an overnight low of 61. Sunday will see a drop to 87 (62), followed by Monday’s 81 (61) and Tuesday’s 77 (61).