Employment increased by 248,000 in September and the unemployment rate declined by 0.2 percent to 5.9 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

August numbers were revised up to 180,000 and July saw a boost to 243,000 from 212,000. September could be higher in the next month's labor report.

The number of unemployed people decreased by 329,000 to 9.3 million, according to the Bureau, but the figures don't explain whether people were hired or stopped receiving unemployment insurance. There were declines in unemployment in September for adult men (5.3 percent), whites (5.1 percent) and Latinos (6.9 percent). There was little change for adult women (5.5. percent), teenagers (20.0 percent) and blacks (11.0 percent).

Civilian labor force participation is 62.7 percent, a drop of nearly 100,000 people from when the participation rate in 2009 was 66 percent.

The number working part-time who would prefer full time is 7.1 million. Not counted as unemployed are 2.2 million people "not in labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometimes in the prior 12 months." Those two categories account for 11.8 percent of workers not fully participating in the workforce.

Economists said what is missing from the hiring numbers is that paychecks aren't growing, keeping the economy from strengthening further, according to the Associated Press.

The average hourly wage for non-management workers has remained at 20.67, rising just 2.3 percent over last year and that matters when the U.S. economy is based on how consumers spend.

A paper issued by the San Francisco Federal Reserve showed recent college students earning $692 a week, approximately $36,000 a year. They've flooded the market and are willing to work for less. In an effort to reduce costs such as benefits, employers are taking advantage of hiring more young people who don't have families to support.

The economy is the No. 1 issue in the mid-term elections.