The US economy unexpectedly hired 57,000 extra people in September, finally ending a seven-month run of losses, but the jobless rate remained stuck at 6.1%.
Although modest, the employment gains defied Wall Street analysts' expectations of more job cutting in the weak labour market.
Most of the new jobs were in services. The pain stretched on in hard-hit factories, although losses decelerated.
In services, employers took on 74,000 people, the Labor Department said. The government axed 15,000 jobs, however, while manufacturers shed 29,000. In construction, benefiting from a roaring housing market, companies hired 14,000 more people.
Separate figures from the Institute for Supply Management showed that the US service sector grew strongly in September.
Its index recorded 63.3, down from August's 65.1, which was the highest reading since the survey began in 1997. The service index has been above the key 50 mark since April.
