The Obama administration was looking for signs of grown of the nation's economy, but the October jobs report that was released Friday morning showed barely a change in the federal unemployment rate.

The government was firing, while the private sector was hiring last month.

In October, employers added 80,000 jobs as the unemployment rate dropped to 9 percent from 9.1 percent the month before. The most hiring was in business services, leisure and hospitality and health care.

Manufacturing jobs increased slightly, but construction and government jobs are on the decline. Both sectors lost about 20,000 jobs last month.

At hearing on Capitol Hill Friday morning, the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics played down the drop in the unemployment rate.

"I'm not sure I'd put a lot of stock in that because it's a small change, but it could be an encouraging sign," said Keith Hall.

But on the downside: state, local and federal governments are all expected to keep cutting jobs in the coming year.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania's higher unemployment rate in September means some out of work people here could qualify for seven more weeks of jobless benefits.

State labor officials said the additional benefits would go to people who have already exhausted their regular and extended state unemployment compensation, as well as federal emergency unemployment.

The state will notify those who qualify by Nov. 26. You must be actively searching for work and the amount of any additional benefits will vary.