United States added 210,000 jobs last month, the government reported on Friday, less than half of what analysts expected.
However, the unemployment rate fell more than expected, falling four tenths to settle at 4.2%, reported the work Department.
Employers added jobs throughout 2021, thanks to the anticovid vaccination that allowed them to resume normal operations and, even with the disappointing result of November, an average of 550,000 jobs have been gained per month.
The economy still has to recover almost four million Job positions to return to the pre-pandemic level, but the data shows signs of improvement in the labor market.
The number of unemployed fell by 542,000, to stand at 6.9 million people, according to the report, far from the 5.7 million before the pandemic.
The number of people in temporary dismissal, which stood at 18 million in April 2020 when lockdown from the pandemic was at its worst, dropped to 801,000, roughly the pre-Covid-19 level.
The unemployment rate for most racial groups declined in November, while the share of people employed or looking for work – which had stagnated in recent months as many chose not to work – rose slightly.
The main industries they made modest gains last month. Professional and business services added 90,000 jobs, while manufacturing and construction added 31,000 each. Retail, meanwhile, lost 20,000 jobs.
The employment figures for September and October were revised up slightly, but not enough to offset the November number.
And amid growing concern that the high inflation will take hold, the report indicates that average hourly income increased 4.8% in the last 12 months, below the 6.2% year-on-year increase in consumer prices.
