The U.S. added 12,000 jobs and the jobless rate stayed flat at 4.1 percent in October, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department, upending a string of strong economic data leading into Election Day.

Economists were bracing for a sharp drop in job gains in October thanks to several large strikes — including the ongoing walkout of more than 30,000 Boeing machinists — and the impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The sharp decline in job gains was caused in part by "severe damage" from the hurricanes and their timing, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) said Friday.

Hurricane Helene made........

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