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White House adviser on U.S. jobs surge: 'I don't see any end to it'

"What I see is more strength," National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow said of Friday's November jobs report.

By Don Jacobson
Larry Kudlow, Director of the National Economic Council, applauds the November jobs report issued Friday, which said 266,000 new jobs were added to the U.S. economy last month. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
Larry Kudlow, Director of the National Economic Council, applauds the November jobs report issued Friday, which said 266,000 new jobs were added to the U.S. economy last month. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

Dec. 6 (UPI) -- The United States job market performed far better in November than most analysts predicted, the Labor Department said in its monthly report Friday.

The department's jobs report shows an addition of 266,000 for the month. Many economists had expected about 187,000. An analysis by ADP and Moody's Analytics on Wednesday showed a growth of just 67,000 jobs.

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The new numbers are a significant rebound from October, when the U.S. economy posted just 128,000 new jobs -- a level affected by the General Motors strike, which idled 42,000 vehicle and parts manufacturing workers.

"Notable job gains occurred in healthcare and in professional and technical services," the report said. "Employment rose in manufacturing, reflecting the return of workers from [the GM] strike."

The healthcare industry added the most jobs last month, 45,000, and has seen its workforce grow by 414,000 over the last 12 months. The manufacturing industry saw a November growth of 54,000 jobs.

The unemployment rate remained flat at 3.5 percent, Friday's report said, noting 5.8 million persons out of work. The number of long-term unemployed -- those out of work for 27 weeks or longer -- was also virtually unchanged in November, at 1.2 million.

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"America is working -- and not only is America working, America is getting paid after taxes," National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow told reporters at the White House.

"I don't see any end to it right now. What I see is more strength."

Kudlow, President Donald Trump's chief economic policy adviser, also said U.S. and Chinese negotiators are close to a trade deal that would end a conflict that's been running for more than a year.

Despite November's strong showing, the U.S. economy remains in a larger downward trend of slowing job growth. Roughly 2 million jobs have been added so far in 2019, representing the slowest growth rate for any year since the height of the recession in 2010. Last year, about 2.3 million jobs had already been added by the end of October.

Through November, the average monthly job growth in the United States this year is 180,000. Last year, that figure was 223,000.

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