The job market looks remarkably strong, Axios' Courtenay Brown writes from new government data.

• Employers are hiring faster than almost any economist anticipated, unemployment remains historically low, and wages keep rising.

📈 By the numbers: Employment rose by 165,000 jobs last month — more than double the 65,000 that economists expected.

• The previous months' revisions also showed stronger hiring heading into fall than previously believed.
• Even as hiring fluctuated this year, the unemployment rate has stayed in a tight range of 4.1% to 4.3% since March.

The pickup in hiring is particularly striking given how sharply job growth slowed over the summer.

• Employers have added an average of 137,000 jobs per month over the past three months. That's compared with a three-month average of just 28,000 from May through July.

Yes, but: Those working part-time — either because they couldn't find full-time jobs or had their hours cut — surged by 339,000 to 4.8 million last month.

The bottom line: Democrats' midterm romp underscored Americans' frustration with the cost of living. Still, the job market offers room for optimism.

• Go deeper.

Democrats made climate change a centerpiece of their campaigns for years — but they barely mentioned it this cycle, Axios' Amy Harder writes.

• The midterms showed just how far the topic has fallen down the political priority list, even within the party most committed to addressing it.

🖼️ The big picture: Even some of the Democrats' most prominent climate advocates emphasized affordability over climate change — or reconsidered ambitious climate policies amid rising costs.

🔎 Zoom in: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, who once championed the state's ambitious climate agenda, pushed to weaken parts of its landmark climate law this year, citing affordability.

• Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who co-authored the Green New Deal, played down the proposal during his reelection campaign, emphasizing affordability and other priorities.
• Texas Sen.-elect James Talarico, who previously warned about fossil fuels' impact on the planet, campaigned on protecting oil and gas jobs alongside expanding renewable energy and lowering electricity bills.

Keep reading.

1. 🐼 Zoo Atlanta's new pandas made their public debut today, with smiling visitors lining up to welcome Ping Ping and Fu Shuang. They're on loan from China under a 10-year agreement. Go deeper.
2. 🛻 Tesla will wind down Cybertruck production next year "to make room for increased Cybercab production," CEO Elon Musk wrote on X. The move reflects Tesla's focus on autonomous vehicles, but also comes amid slowing sales for the divisive electric truck. Go deeper.
3. 🕯️ John D. Rockefeller IV, a former West Virginia governor and senator who pushed to expand health insurance coverage, died today at home in Washington at 89. N.Y. Times obit (gift link).

The new "Voice of Logan" belongs to a baritone pipe fitter born and raised just outside Boston, Axios Boston's Steph Solis reports.

• Chris Donisi won a contest to record welcome messages for travelers at Boston Logan International Airport.

🎙️ Donisi, whose mother encouraged him to compete, told reporters yesterday: "I'm one of you guys ... You probably sat next to me at one of the bars in Boston. You've probably waved to me or given me the finger in traffic — one or the other. We're still all friends."

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