US jobs report Friday is likely to show another solid gain

Healthy consumer and business spending is fueling brisk economic growth, emboldening employers to post record numbers of openings and raising expectations for another positive snapshot of the U.S. job market.

Economists have forecast that the government will report Friday that employers added a solid 184,000 jobs in September, according to the data provider FactSet, and that the unemployment rate dipped from 3.9 percent to 3.8 percent, matching an 18-year low.

The September gain will extend an 8½-year streak of monthly job growth, coming after the Great Recession had devastated the economy and eliminated nearly 9 million jobs. The employment market has shown no sign of flagging. Over the past six months, the economy has added a strong average of 192,000 jobs each month.