Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 227,000 in November and the unemployment rate edged up to 4.2%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.
Employment trended up in health care, leisure and hospitality, government, and social assistance. Retail trade lost jobs.
Health care added 54,000 jobs in November, in line with the average monthly gain of 59,000 over the prior 12 months. In November, ambulatory health care services added 22,000 jobs, led by a gain of 16,000 in home health care services. Employment also increased in hospitals (+19,000) and nursing and residential care facilities (+12,000).
Employment in leisure and hospitality trended up in November (+53,000), following little change in the prior month (+2,000). Over the month, employment trended up in food services and drinking places (+29,000). Leisure and hospitality had added an average of 21,000 jobs per month over the prior 12 months.
In November, government employment continued to trend up (+33,000), in line with the average monthly gain over the prior 12 months (+41,000). Over the month, employment continued to trend up in state government (+20,000).
Employment increased by 32,000 in transportation equipment manufacturing in November, reflecting the return of workers who were on strike. Employment in social assistance edged up by 19,000 in November, similar to the average monthly gain of 18,000 over the prior 12 months. Over the month, individual and family services added 17,000 jobs.
Retail trade lost 28,000 jobs in November, after showing little net employment change over the prior 12 months. In November, employment declined in general merchandise retailers (-15,000), while electronics and appliance retailers added jobs (+4,000).
The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for September was revised up by 32,000, from +223,000 to +255,000, and the change for October was revised up by 24,000, from +12,000 to +36,000. With these revisions, employment in September and October combined is 56,000 higher than previously reported.
Read the BLS release.
