GDP growth has topped 2% in eight of the last nine quarters
Meanwhile, those who have lost their jobs are finding it harder to land a new one
GDP report still showed that the American economy is proving surprisingly durable
Economists say the total was held down by the effects of strikes, hurricanes
Consumer spending helps drive growth despite the weight of still-high interest rates
Job openings fell in particular at health-care companies, government agencies
Organization lowers its estimates for growth in Europe and China
Hiring gain, up sharply from the 159,000 jobs added in August, was far more than economists had expected
Strong consumer spending and business investment drove the result
Adding to the anxiety is that memories of the recent job boom are still fresh