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U.S. jobs reports shows “steady growth in our economy”

unemploymentWASHINGTON, D.C. – Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 211,000 in November, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.0 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.

Job gains occurred in construction, professional and technical services, and health care. Mining and information lost jobs.

In November, the unemployment rate held at 5.0 percent, and the number of unemployed persons, at 7.9 million, was essentially unchanged. Over the past 12 months, the unemployment rate and the number of unemployed persons are down by 0.8 percentage point and 1.1 million, respectively.

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (4.7 percent), adult women (4.6 percent), teenagers (15.7 percent), whites (4.3 percent), blacks (9.4 percent), Asians (3.9 percent), and Hispanics (6.4 percent) showed little or no change in November.

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little changed at 2.1 million in November and has shown little movement since June. In November, these individuals accounted for 25.7 percent of the unemployed.

The civilian labor force participation rate, at 62.5 percent, changed little in
November. The employment-population ratio was unchanged at 59.3 percent and has
shown little movement since October 2014.

The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers) increased by 319,000 to 6.1 million in November, following declines in September and October. These individuals, who would have preferred full-time employment, were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to find a full-time job. Over the past 12 months, the number of persons employed part time for economic reasons is down by 765,000.

In November, 1.7 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force, down by 392,000 from a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.) These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. They were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey.

Among the marginally attached, there were 594,000 discouraged workers in November, little changed from a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.) Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them. The remaining 1.1 million persons marginally attached to the labor force in November had not searched for work for reasons such as school attendance or family responsibilities.

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 211,000 in November, about in line with the average monthly gain of 237,000 over the prior 12 months. In November, job growth occurred in construction, professional and technical services, and health care. Employment in mining and information declined over the month. (See table B-1.)

Employment in construction rose by 46,000 in November, with much of the increase occurring in residential specialty trade contractors (+26,000). Over the past year, construction employment has grown by 259,000.

In November, professional and technical services added 28,000 jobs. Job gains
occurred in accounting and bookkeeping services (+11,000), and employment in
computer systems design and related services continued to trend up (+5,000). Over the year, professional and technical services has added 298,000 jobs.

Health care employment increased by 24,000 over the month, following a large gain in October (+51,000). In November, hospitals added 13,000 jobs. Health care employment has grown by 470,000 over the year.

Employment in food services and drinking places continued to trend up in November (+32,000) and has risen by 374,000 over the year.

Retail trade employment continued to trend up in November (+31,000) and has
increased by 284,000 over the year. In November, job gains occurred in general
merchandise stores (+12,000) and motor vehicle and parts dealers (+9,000). Over
the past 12 months, these industries have added 85,000 jobs and 71,000 jobs,
respectively.

Employment in mining continued to decline in November (-11,000), with losses
concentrated in support activities for mining (-7,000). Since a recent peak in
December 2014, employment in mining has declined by 123,000.

Information lost 12,000 jobs over the month. Within the industry, employment in
motion pictures and sound recording decreased by 13,000 in November but has shown little net change over the year.

Employment in other major industries, including manufacturing, wholesale trade,
transportation and warehousing, financial activities, and government, changed
little over the month.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today released the following statement on the employment situation in November:

“Today’s employment report is another strong indication of the steady growth in our economy,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. “Our businesses have added 13.7 million jobs over 69 straight months, and in the last three years, we have seen the strongest job creation since 2000. Hourly earnings are also up 2.3% over the last 12 months, supporting income growth for the nation’s households.

“Even with these gains, we must continue creating the conditions for our workers and our businesses to compete and succeed in the global economy. Making strong investments in our workforce, our infrastructure, and in support of innovation will help keep our economy strong and secure our global standing. In addition, Congress must approve the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which will create unprecedented market access opportunities for our businesses while ensuring that our workers can compete on a level playing field.”

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