Commissioner's Statement on the Employment Situation News Release — 2015-12-04

Advance copies of this statement are made available to the press under lock-up conditions with the explicit understanding that the data are embargoed until 8:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 211,000 in November, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.0 percent. Job gains occurred in construction, professional and technical services, and health care. Employment declined in mining and information. Incorporating revisions for September and October, which increased nonfarm payroll employment by 35,000, monthly job gains have averaged 218,000 over the past 3 months. In the 12 months prior to November, employment growth averaged 237,000 per month. Construction employment rose by 46,000 in November; more than half of the gain was among residential specialty trade contractors (+26,000). Job growth in construction has picked up in recent months. Over the year, construction has added 259,000 jobs. Employment in professional and technical services rose by 28,000 in November.