If it didn't, the NFP would have printed at -23k. Not that robots and algos will care, as they buy the headline number. This year, over half a million jobs were created or saved (laf) by the mystical fudging that is the Birth/Death adjustment. Chart, from ZeroHedge:
However they fudge it with this birth/death statistic it still printed 10k under expectations which are already depressingly low to begin with. Systemic unemployment at these rates are here to stay. Those Chindia jobs being transferred overseas in order to boost earnings aren't coming back. Either way todays number should be good for another 200 pt rally in the dow.
Yes, it's bullshit. The forward month picks up gains/death from the prior, so there's no use "Estimating" the current survey period, unless to juice the numbers. Another scam.