November jobs report 'blows away' expectations

(Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The U.S. economy added 266,000 jobs in November, the Labor Department said Friday, coming in far ahead of expectations.

Analysts had been anticipating around 180,000 jobs being added, The New York Times notes.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Hiring reached its highest level since January, as unemployment fell from 3.6 percent in October to 3.5 percent in November, The Associated Press reports. Average hourly earnings rose 0.2 percent, up 3.1 percent from last year.

The New York Times writes the report "offered a counterpoint to renewed anxieties about an escalating trade war and a weakening global economy," noting tens of thousands of General Motors workers returning after a strike helped boost the hiring totals.

Explore More

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.