U.S. Adds 64,000 Jobs in November; Unemployment Rate Rises to 4.6%

In November 2025, the U.S. economy added 64,000 jobs, surpassing economists' expectations of 40,000. This follows a significant loss of 105,000 jobs in October, primarily due to a reduction of 162,000 federal positions. The unemployment rate rose to 4.6%, the highest since 2021.

The delayed release of these figures was attributed to a 43-day government shutdown, which also resulted in the cancellation of the October jobs report.

Job creation has slowed, averaging 35,000 per month since March, down from 71,000 the previous year. The health care sector led private sector job gains, while manufacturing continued to lose jobs for the seventh consecutive month.

The Federal Reserve recently cut interest rates for the third time in 2025 in response to these signs of economic strain.

Unemployment rates for Black Americans and teenagers surged to the highest levels in over four years. The Black unemployment rate rose sharply to 8.3% from 7.5% in September, while the teen unemployment rate jumped to 16.3% from 13.2%.

Market reactions were mixed: stocks dipped slightly, Treasury yields saw temporary declines, and the U.S. dollar lost some ground. Analysts noted that while the rise in unemployment is noteworthy, technical factors may have skewed the data. The labor market is seen as gradually cooling rather than entering a sharp downturn.