Employers added just 12,000 jobs in October as hiring slowed substantially. The total was expected to be constrained by two Southeast hurricanes and several worker strikes, but the tally was far lower than what was estimated and job gains for previous months were revised sharply downward, raising concerns about a weakening labor market.

Nonfarm payroll increased by a meager 12,000 in October, well off what was forecasted by Wall Street but the numbers come with some important caveats, the Labor Department said in its report on Friday.