Transmission of material in this news release is embargoed until USDL-24-2477
8:30 a.m. (ET) Friday, December 6, 2024
Technical information:
Household data: (202) 691-6378 * cpsinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/cps
Establishment data: (202) 691-6555 * cesinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/ces
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION -- NOVEMBER 2024
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 227,000 in November, and the unemployment rate
changed little at 4.2 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment
trended up in health care, leisure and hospitality, government, and social assistance. Retail
trade lost jobs.
This news release presents statistics from two monthly surveys. The household survey measures
labor force status, including unemployment, by demographic characteristics. The establishment
survey measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry. For more information
about the concepts and statistical methodology used in these two surveys, see the Technical
Note.
Household Survey Data
Both the unemployment rate, at 4.2 percent, and the number of unemployed people, at 7.1
million, changed little in November. These measures are higher than a year earlier, when the
jobless rate was 3.7 percent, and the number of unemployed people was 6.3 million. (See table
A-1.)
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for Blacks (6.4 percent) edged up in
November. The jobless rates for adult men (3.9 percent), adult women (3.9 percent), teenagers
(13.2 percent), Whites (3.8 percent), Asians (3.8 percent), and Hispanics (5.3 percent) showed
little or no change over the month. (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)
The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little changed at
1.7 million in November. This measure is up from 1.2 million a year earlier. In November, the
long-term unemployed accounted for 23.2 percent of all unemployed people. (See table A-12.)
The labor force participation rate, at 62.5 percent, changed little in November and has
remained in a narrow range of 62.5 percent to 62.7 percent since December 2023. The
employment-population ratio, at 59.8 percent, also changed little over the month but is down
by 0.6 percentage point over the year. (See table A-1.)
The number of people employed part time for economic reasons changed little at 4.5 million in
November. This measure is up from 4.0 million a year earlier. These individuals would have
preferred full-time employment but were working part time because their hours had been reduced
or they were unable to find full-time jobs. (See table A-8.)
The number of people not in the labor force who currently want a job, at 5.5 million, changed
little in November. These individuals were not counted as unemployed because they were not
actively looking for work during the 4 weeks preceding the survey or were unavailable to take
a job. (See table A-1.)
Among those not in the labor force who wanted a job, the number of people marginally attached
to the labor force, at 1.6 million, was unchanged in November. These individuals wanted and
were available for work and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months but had not
looked for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. The number of discouraged workers, a
subset of the marginally attached who believed that no jobs were available for them, changed
little at 396,000 in November. (See Summary table A.)
Establishment Survey Data
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 227,000 in November, following little change in the
prior month (+36,000). Payroll employment had increased by an average of 186,000 per month
over the 12 months prior to November. Over the month, employment trended up in health care,
leisure and hospitality, government, and social assistance. Employment increased in
transportation equipment manufacturing, reflecting the return of workers who were on strike.
Retail trade lost jobs. (See table B-1.)
Health care added 54,000 jobs in November, in line with the average monthly gain of 59,000
over the prior 12 months. In November, ambulatory health care services added 22,000 jobs, led
by a gain of 16,000 in home health care services. Employment also increased in hospitals
(+19,000) and nursing and residential care facilities (+12,000).
Employment in leisure and hospitality trended up in November (+53,000), following little
change in the prior month (+2,000). Over the month, employment trended up in food services
and drinking places (+29,000). Leisure and hospitality had added an average of 21,000 jobs
per month over the prior 12 months.
In November, government employment continued to trend up (+33,000), in line with the average
monthly gain over the prior 12 months (+41,000). Over the month, employment continued to trend
up in state government (+20,000).
Employment increased by 32,000 in transportation equipment manufacturing in November,
reflecting the return of workers who were on strike.
Employment in social assistance edged up by 19,000 in November, similar to the average monthly
gain of 18,000 over the prior 12 months. Over the month, individual and family services added
17,000 jobs.
Retail trade lost 28,000 jobs in November, after showing little net employment change over the
prior 12 months. In November, employment declined in general merchandise retailers (-15,000),
while electronics and appliance retailers added jobs (+4,000).
Employment showed little or no change over the month in other major industries, including
mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; construction; wholesale trade; transportation
and warehousing; information; financial activities; professional and business services; and
other services.
In November, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 13
cents, or 0.4 percent, to $35.61. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have
increased by 4.0 percent. In November, average hourly earnings of private-sector production
and nonsupervisory employees rose by 9 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $30.57. (See tables B-3 and
B-8.)
The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls edged up by 0.1 hour to
34.3 hours in November. In manufacturing, the average workweek was little changed at 40.0
hours, and overtime edged up by 0.1 hour to 2.9 hours. The average workweek for production and
nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls remained at 33.7 hours. (See tables B-2
and B-7.)
The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for September was revised up by 32,000, from
+223,000 to +255,000, and the change for October was revised up by 24,000, from +12,000 to
+36,000. With these revisions, employment in September and October combined is 56,000 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.)
_____________
The Employment Situation for December is scheduled to be released on
Friday, January 10, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. (ET).
___________________________________________________________________________________________
| |
| Revision of Seasonally Adjusted Household Survey Data |
| |
| In accordance with usual practice, The Employment Situation news release for December |
| 2024, scheduled for January 10, 2025, will incorporate annual revisions in seasonally |
| adjusted household survey data. Seasonally adjusted data for the most recent 5 years |
| are subject to revision. |
|___________________________________________________________________________________________|
United States Department of Labor
