WASHINGTON, D.C. — Total nonfarm employment in the United States rose by 199,000 jobs in November, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). CNBC reports that the figure slightly beats estimates from Dow Jones economists who predicted an increase of 190,000. This also marks an increase from the 150,000 jobs gained in October but below the average monthly gain of 240,000 over the prior 12 months.
Private sector employment constituted 150,000 of the added jobs, with 49,000 jobs added in the government. Healthcare saw a significant increase, with the addition of 77,000 jobs, above the average monthly gain of 54,000 over the prior 12 months. The manufacturing and leisure and hospitality industries added 28,000 and 40,000 jobs, respectively, and the social assistance sector saw a more modest increase of 16,000.
Employment in information and transportation and warehousing changed little, and retail trade employment declined by 38,000 jobs.
The U.S. unemployment rate in November fell to 3.7 percent from 3.9 percent in October, beating expectations from Dow Jones economists who forecasted the rate would remain unchanged. Employment numbers for September and October saw minimal revisions. The BLS revised September job gains down by 35,000 from 297,000 to 262,000, and October’s figure was unchanged at 150,000.