Total nonfarm payroll employment in the United States increased by 199,000, roughly in line with consensus estimates, as the unemployment rate dropped from 3.9 percent to 3.7 percent.
The major employment-adding sectors were health care (77,000 increase); government employment (+49,000); manufacturing (+28,000), reflecting an increase of 30,000 as motor vehicles and parts workers returned from a strike; leisure and hospitality (+40,000), almost entirely in food services and drinking places; and employment in social assistance (+16,000).
Employment fell in department stores (19,000 decrease), in appliance retailers (-6,000) and in transportation and warehousing (-5,000), a result in part due to a decrease in warehousing and storage employment (-8,000) and a gain in air-transportation employment (+4,000).
Average hourly earnings in November for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 0.4 percent, or 12 cents, to $34.10. The average hourly earnings have i