The September figure was revised downward from 7.5% initially reported.
In October 2012, the jobless rate was 6.8%, the data showed.
An estimated 736,000 people were unemployed and looking for work in October, up from 733,000 a month earlier. Male jobless rate was 7.9%, while female unemployment reached 6.5%.
The figures refer to people aged between 15 and 74 and are based on the definition recommended by the International Labor Organization.
The unemployment rate for people aged 25-74 was 5.9% in October, the data showed. The latter category made up for 74.2% of the total jobless people in October 2013.