Total nonfarm payroll employment grew 228,000 in November, a small decline from last month’s reading of 244,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The national unemployment rate remained at 4.1%, maintaining the lowest level since December 2000.
Private service-providing industries gained 159,000 jobs, led by professional and business services, which added 46,000.
Goods-producing employment rose by 62,000 jobs during the month, as gains in manufacturing led by adding 31,000 jobs in November.
The civilian labor force participation rate was unchanged at 62.7%, a small improvement from last November’s 62.6% rate. Workers unemployed for less than 14 weeks increased by 57,000, while the number of long-term unemployed, those jobless for 27 weeks or more, fell by 40,000 and accounted for 23.9% of the unemployed. The number of discouraged workers was 469,000, a 55,000 decrease from a month earlier.
Average hourly earnings increased by 5 cents to $26.55, after a 3-cent decline in October. Over the past year, average hourly earnings have risen by 64 cents, or 2.5%.
Read the BLS release.
