The United States added 103,000 jobs in September, an improvement over this summer and just enough to calm fears of a new recession that have hung over Wall Street and the nation for weeks.

For more Americans, being out of work has become a semi-permanent condition.

The number of people who applied for unemployment benefits last week rose slightly last week, a sign that the job market remains weak.

Two days before the government's much-anticipated jobs report, a snapshot of employment trends in the service sector flashed an ominous sign.

Service firms that employ 90 percent of the U.S. work force expanded at a slightly slower pace in September than the previous month.

Europe has a debt crisis. America has a jobs crisis. Corporate profits could be in trouble. World financial markets are in turmoil. And no one seems prepared to ride to the rescue.

The economy is showing signs of modest improvement not enough to reduce high unemployment but enough to ease fears that another recession might be near.

The number of people seeking unemployment benefits fell sharply last week, an encouraging sign that layoffs are easing.