After adding only 36,000 jobs in October (revised up from 12,000), nonfarm payroll employment grew by 227,000 jobs in November, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The average monthly job growth over the past year is now at 186,000 jobs.
Health care (+54,000 jobs) and leisure and hospitality (+53,000) led job growth in November. Jobs also increased in government (+33,000), transportation equipment manufacturing (+32,000), and social assistance (+19,000). Meanwhile, retail trade was down 28,000 jobs. And after losing 33,000 jobs in October, temporary help services inched up by 1,600 jobs in November.
The unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.2% over the month, with 7.1 million people unemployed, and the labor force participation rate was 62.5%.
146,000 jobs added to private sector employment
In the private sector, employment increased by 146,000 jobs, with growth in education / health services (+50,000), construction (+30,000), and trade / transportation / utilities (+28,000). However, jobs declined by 26,000 in manufacturing.
While large private business (500+ employees) added 120,000 jobs in November, small establishments with 20 to 49 employees lost 29,000 jobs.
For the first time in 25 months, annual pay gains rose for job-stayers, creeping up to 4.8%. Pay gains also increased for job-changers, settling at 7.2% for the month.
