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Posted December 10, 2023

Unemployment rate scoots down 4%

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 199,000 in November, and the unemployment rate edged down to 3.7%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.


Job gains occurred in health care and government. Employment also increased in manufacturing, reflecting the return of workers from a strike. Employment in retail trade declined.

Employment in manufacturing rose by 28,000 in November, reflecting an increase of 30,000 in motor vehicles and parts as workers returned from a strike. Employment in manufacturing has shown little net change over the year.

Employment in transportation and warehousing changed little in November (-5,000). A job loss in warehousing and storage (-8,000) was partially offset by a gain in air transportation
(+4,000). Employment in transportation and warehousing has declined by 61,000 since a peak in October 2022.

The number of unemployed persons showed little change at 6.3 million. 

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for teenagers (11.4%) edged down
in November. The jobless rates for adult men (3.7%), adult women (3.1%), Whites
(3.3%), Blacks (5.8%), Asians (3.5%), and Hispanics (4.6%) showed
little or no change over the month. 

In November, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) edged down to 1.2 million. These individuals accounted for 18.3% of all unemployed persons.

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