November was a month of thanksgiving and increased job opportunities. Staff Solve strives to assist employers and job seekers with information and process hiring, but the overall economic picture of employment trends in the United States and possible factors involved.

Total employment increased by 210,000 in November, resulting in the unemployment rate decreasing to an overall 4.2%. Among those unemployed, the number of permanent job losers declined by 205,000 and the number of persons on temporary layoff decreased by 255,000. This sample of data is down from the high reported back in April 2020 and has nearly returned to its February 2020 level of 750,000. The number of long-term unemployed, those jobless for 27 weeks or more, changed little and accounted for 32.1% of the total unemployed in November. 

The labor force participation rate increased to 61.8% even though the number of persons employed part-time for economic reasons changed little. These individuals, who would have preferred full-time employment, were working part-time because their hours had been reduced or they were unable to find full-time jobs.

Thus far this year, monthly job growth has averaged 555,000. In November, notable job gains occurred in professional and business services, transportation and warehousing, construction, and manufacturing. Professional and business services added 90,000 jobs, with job gains continuing to increase in administrative and waste services (+42,000), although employment in its temporary help services component changed little (+6,000). Job growth also continued in management and technical consulting services (+12,000) and in computer system design and related services (+10,000). 

Transportation and warehousing increased by 50,000, with specific job gains occurring in couriers and messengers (+27,000) and in warehousing and storage (+9,000). Construction employment rose by 31,000, following gains of a similar magnitude in the last 2 months. In November, employment continued to have a positive trend in specialty trade contractors (+13,000), construction of buildings (+10,000), and heavy and civil engineering construction (+8,000). Manufacturing added 31,000 jobs, miscellaneous durable goods manufacturing (+10,000) and fabricated metal products (+8,000), while motor vehicles and parts lost jobs (-10,000). Opportunities in financial activities continued to appear with increased job gains (+13,000) and is 30,000 above its February 2020 level. Lastly, job growth occurred in securities, commodity contracts, and investments(+9,000). 

Employment in retail trade declined by 20,000 in November, with job losses in general merchandise stores (-20,000); clothing and clothing accessories stores (-18,000); and sporting goods, hobby, book, and music stores (-9,000). These losses were partially offset by job gains in food and beverage stores (+9,000) and in building material and garden supply stores (+7,000). Leisure and hospitality changed little (+23,000), following large gains earlier in the year. Health care employment remained almost unchanged for the month (+2,000). Within the industry, employment in ambulatory health care services showed growth (+17,000), while nursing and residential care facilities lost 11,000 jobs.

For the month of November, employment showed little change in other major industries, including mining, wholesale trade, information, other services, and public and private education. 

The average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 8 cents to $31.03. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 4.8%. Average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees rose by 12 cents to $26.40. The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 0.1 hours to 34.8 hours. In manufacturing, the average workweek edged up by 0.1 hours to 40.4 hours, and overtime was unchanged at 3.2 hours. The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged at 34.1 hours. 

The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for September was revised up by 67,000, from +312,000 to +379,000, and the change for October was revised up by 15,000, from +531,000 to +546,000. With these revisions, employment in September and October combined is 82,000 higher than previously reported. Monthly revisions result from additional reports received from businesses and government agencies since the last published estimates and from the recalculation of seasonal factors.

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