U.S. economy added 211,000 jobs in November; unemployment rate holds at 5 percent
(WASHINGTON POST) U.S. companies in November continued their robust hiring, adding 211,000 new jobs, according to government data released Friday, providing a signal of economic health that will likely spur the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates later this month.
The unemployment rate held at 5 percent, a 7½-year low, even as more Americans began job searches in a sign of labor market confidence.
The new numbers released by the Department of Labor show a resilient U.S. economy that has been driven by consumer spending and job creation, even amid the turbulence of weak commodity prices and a strong dollar.