Transmission of material in this news release is embargoed until USDL-23-2530
8:30 a.m. (ET) Friday, December 8, 2023
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 2023
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 199,000 in November, and the unemployment rate
edged down to 3.7 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains
occurred in health care and government. Employment also increased in manufacturing, reflecting
the return of workers from a strike. Employment in retail trade declined.
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
The unemployment rate edged down to 3.7 percent in November, and the number of unemployed
persons showed little change at 6.3 million. (See table A-1.)
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for teenagers (11.4 percent) edged down
in November. The jobless rates for adult men (3.7 percent), adult women (3.1 percent), Whites
(3.3 percent), Blacks (5.8 percent), Asians (3.5 percent), and Hispanics (4.6 percent) showed
little or no change over the month. (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)
In November, the number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) edged
down to 1.2 million. These individuals accounted for 18.3 percent of all unemployed persons.
(See table A-12.)
The employment-population ratio increased by 0.3 percentage point to 60.5 percent in November.
The labor force participation rate was little changed at 62.8 percent and has been essentially
flat since August. (See table A-1.)
The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons decreased by 295,000 to 4.0
million in November. 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. (See table A-8.)
In November, the number of persons not in the labor force who currently want a job was 5.3
million, little different from the prior month. 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 persons marginally attached
to the labor force changed little at 1.6 million 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, was 421,000 in November,
essentially unchanged from the previous month. (See Summary table A.)
Establishment Survey Data
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 199,000 in November. Employment growth is below the
average monthly gain of 240,000 over the prior 12 months but is in line with job growth in recent
months. In November, job gains occurred in health care and government. Employment also increased
in manufacturing, reflecting the return of workers from a strike. Employment in retail trade
declined. (See table B-1.)
In November, health care added 77,000 jobs, above the average monthly gain of 54,000 over the
prior 12 months. Over the month, job gains continued in ambulatory health care services (+36,000),
hospitals (+24,000), and nursing and residential care facilities (+17,000).
Government employment increased by 49,000 in November, in line with the average monthly gain of
55,000 over the prior 12 months. Employment continued to trend up in local government (+32,000)
and state government (+17,000) over the month.
Employment in manufacturing rose by 28,000 in November, reflecting an increase of 30,000 in
motor vehicles and parts as workers returned from a strike. Employment in manufacturing has
shown little net change over the year.
In November, employment in leisure and hospitality continued to trend up (+40,000), almost
entirely in food services and drinking places. Leisure and hospitality had added an average of
51,000 jobs per month over the prior 12 months.
Employment in social assistance continued to trend up in November (+16,000). The industry had
added an average of 23,000 jobs per month over the prior 12 months. Over the month, employment
continued to trend up in individual and family services (+9,000).
Retail trade employment declined by 38,000 in November and has shown little net change over the
year. Employment decreased in department stores (-19,000) and in furniture, home furnishings,
electronics, and appliance retailers (-6,000) over the month.
In November, employment in information changed little (+10,000). Motion picture and sound
recording industries added 17,000 jobs, mostly reflecting the resolution of labor disputes in
the industry. Overall, employment in the information industry has declined by 104,000 since
reaching a peak in November 2022.
Employment in transportation and warehousing changed little in November (-5,000). A job loss
in warehousing and storage (-8,000) was partially offset by a gain in air transportation
(+4,000). Employment in transportation and warehousing has declined by 61,000 since a peak
in October 2022.
Employment showed little change over the month in other major industries, including mining,
quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; construction; wholesale trade; financial activities;
professional and business services; and other services.
In November, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 12
cents, or 0.4 percent, to $34.10. 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 12 cents, or 0.4 percent, to $29.30. (See tables B-3 and
B-8.)
The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls edged up by 0.1 hour to
34.4 hours in November. In manufacturing, the average workweek was unchanged at 40.0 hours,
and overtime remained at 2.9 hours. The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory
employees on private nonfarm payrolls edged up by 0.1 hour to 33.8 hours. (See tables B-2 and
B-7.)
The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for September was revised down by 35,000, from
+297,000 to +262,000, and the change for October remained at +150,000. With these revisions,
employment in September and October combined is 35,000 lower 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 5, 2024,
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 |
| 2023, scheduled for January 5, 2024, 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
