Employers Add More Jobs Than Expected Unemployment rate sticks at 4.1% as employers add 228K jobs By Newser Editors and Wire Services Posted Dec 8, 2017 7:41 AM CST 42 comments Comments A job applicant attends a job fair in Miami Lakes, Fla., in this file photo. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) (Newser) – US employers added a robust 228,000 jobs in November, a sign of the job market's enduring strength in its ninth year of economic recovery, per the AP. The Labor Department says the unemployment rate remained at a 17-year low of 4.1%. The economy is expanding at a healthy pace, and in many cases employers are scrambling to hire enough qualified workers. Over the past six months, growth has exceeded an annual rate of 3%, the first time that's happened since 2014. Consumer confidence has reached its highest level since 2000. One downside: Healthy hiring and a low unemployment rate have yet to push up wages, which rose 2.5% in November compared with a year earlier. The last time unemployment was this low, wages were rising at a 4% rate. The new report probably won't change the Federal Reserve's expected decision to raise interest rates later this month, notes the Wall Street Journal. (Read more unemployment stories.) My Take on This Story Report a story error Show results without voting | 5% Hilarious 23% Intriguing 8% Depressing 53% Brilliant 3% Scary 10% Ridiculous
