Sunny economic numbers not without shadows

WASHINGTON >> For a U.S. economic expansion now in its 10th year, hiring remains robust, growth has picked up and the outlook is a mostly bright one on the eve of congressional elections.

On Friday, the government reported that employers added a strong 250,000 jobs in October and that the unemployment rate remained 3.7 percent, the lowest level in nearly 50 years. Pay also rose at a healthy pace. Consumers are confident, spending freely, fueling brisk economic growth and encouraging employers to keep hiring.

“Unemployment at 3.7%. Wages UP!” President Donald Trump tweeted Friday morning. “These are incredible numbers. Keep it going, Vote Republican!”

Yet one surprising element of the midterm campaign season has been how little the sunny economic picture appears to be benefiting Trump and Republican congressional candidates. Polls show that while voters broadly approve of the economy, they give low ratings to Trump himself. Many appear motivated by non-economic factors. And nationally, voters prefer Democrats to Republicans in elections for the House, according to surveys of voters’ generic preferences.

Here are some gauges of the U.S. economy as Election Day nears:

Wages rev up

Many employers have long complained that they can’t find ECONOMY >> PAGE 2

AP PHOTO/LYNNE SLADKY, FILE Loredana Gonzalez, of Doral, Fla., fills out a job application at a JobNewsUSA job fair in Miami Lakes, Fla.