Unemployment rate falls to 7.7 percent

Posted on 07 December 2012

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Unemployment dropped to 7.7 percent in November, the lowest rate in four years, according to numbers released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Superstorm Sandy appeared to have had little effect on jobs and hiring as 146,000 jobs were added last month.

Since the beginning of this year employment growth has averaged 151,000 jobs a month, about the same as the average monthly job gain of 153,000 in 2011. In November, employment rose in retail trade, professional and business services and health care.

Retail trade employment rose by 53,000 in November and has increased by 140,000 over the past three months. During the month 33,000 jobs were added in clothing and clothing accessory stores, 10,000 added in general merchandise stores and 9,000 added in electronics and appliance stores.

Employment at miscellaneous retailers decreased by 13,000.

Employment in professional and business services rose by 43,000, continuing to increase in computer systems design and related services.

Health care employment continued to increase in November, with 20,000 new jobs.

Employment in wholesale trade edged up during the month, adding 13,000 jobs. Since it reached an employment trough in May 2010 the industry has added 228,000 jobs.

Information employment also edged up 12,000 in November, with the increase concentrated in motion picture and sound recording, where 15,000 jobs were added. On net, information employment has changed little during the past 12 months.

In November, leisure and hospitality employment continued to trend up, adding 23,000 jobs. During the past 12 months the industry has added 305,000 jobs.

Employment in construction declined by 20,000 in November, with much of the loss occurring in the construction of buildings, which was down 11,000 jobs. Since early 2010 employment in construction has shown no clear trend.

Manufacturing employment changed little during the month. Within the industry, job losses in food manufacturing (12,000) and chemicals (9,000) more than offset gains in motor vehicles and parts (10,000) and wood products (3,000). On net, manufacturing employment has changed little since this past spring.

Click here for the full release.

Comments

3 Friday, 07 December 2012 21:12

By John Ennis

Here in Florida..poor paying jobs in the tourist and food industry are on the rise. The latest person in charge of creating jobs was forced to resign after it was learned he drew unemployment checks while he and his wife were living it up touring europe. The job has been a revolving door for more then a year and Florida is now spelled FLORI DUH.

2 Friday, 07 December 2012 18:42

By gofins

All the economy ever needed was for the obstructionists party of no to get out of the way. We could have been much further along had they cooperated on ANYTHING. (IMHO)

1 Friday, 07 December 2012 18:18

By Curtis

Sorry, but I do not believe these numbers. I don't want to sound pesimistic but I think these number are being manipulated to make things look better than thet are. It was just released for Washington state that 65,000 people were going to lose their extended unemployement benifits as of dec 29th. So now the unemployement rate will drop again because those people will not be included in the count.
Just read another article that states small to meduim businesses are not planning to add employees in 2013.
The small strip malls around are half empty
Went shopping the other night, nobody was at the mall. 6:30 pm and you could have any parking spot and not one line at a cash register anywhere. I guess everybody shopped on black friday.
I am somewhat hopefull that congress will pull their heads out of their a**es get something done without completely killing our country.
I can't afford to retire, I used all of my retiement to keep the business afloat in 2008 and 2009 and I don't want to go look for another job at 55 so keeping the business open for myself and all of my employees is a must. If congress blows it, it will be a short year.
Have a nice day

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