Analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Data. Assistance from Claude AI.
Executive Summary
Job growth nearly stalled in November 2025, with employers adding just 64,000 positions—the weakest showing since spring—while the unemployment rate ticked up to 4.6% from 4.2% a year earlier, and nearly one million more Americans were working part-time because they couldn’t find full-time work.
What This Report Measures
The Employment Situation report tracks two main things: (1) how many jobs employers added or cut (from the “establishment survey” of businesses), and (2) how many Americans are working or looking for work (from the “household survey” of about 60,000 households). This is the most closely watched monthly economic indicator because employment directly affects millions of families’ ability to pay bills, save money, and plan for the future.
Key Findings
Job Growth Has Stalled
- Employers added only 64,000 jobs in November 2025
- This represents minimal growth—for context, the economy needs roughly 100,000-150,000 jobs monthly just to keep pace with population growth
- Since April 2025, total employment has shown “little net change,” meaning the job market has essentially flatlined for seven months
Unemployment Edged Higher
- The unemployment rate reached 4.6% in November, up from 4.4% in September (October data wasn’t collected due to a government shutdown)
- One year ago, unemployment stood at 4.2%—meaning 500,000 more Americans are now jobless
- The total number of unemployed people: 7.8 million, compared to 7.1 million in November 2024
Part-Time Work Surged
- 5.5 million people were working part-time because they couldn’t find full-time jobs or had their hours cut
- This represents an increase of 909,000 people since September—a concerning jump
- These are workers who want full-time employment but are settling for fewer hours and lower paychecks
Where Jobs Appeared
- Health care: +46,000 jobs (hospitals, doctors’ offices, nursing homes)
- Construction: +28,000 jobs (particularly in specialty contractors working on commercial buildings)
- Social assistance: +18,000 jobs
Where Jobs Disappeared
- Federal government: -6,000 jobs in November, following a massive -162,000 in October
- Since January 2025, federal employment has dropped by 271,000 positions
- Transportation and warehousing: -18,000 jobs (down 78,000 since February peak)
- Couriers and messengers specifically lost 18,000 jobs
Wages Barely Budged
- Average hourly pay: $36.86, up just 5 cents from October
- Over the past year, wages rose 3.5%—which may not keep pace with living costs for many families
Teenage Unemployment Jumped
- Unemployment for 16-19 year olds: 16.3%, up sharply from 13.2% in September
- This suggests young workers are having particular difficulty finding jobs
What It Means
For Workers and Job Seekers: The combination of minimal job growth, rising unemployment, and surging involuntary part-time work suggests the labor market is cooling significantly. Americans looking for work may face longer searches and fewer options. Those employed may find it harder to negotiate raises or switch jobs for better pay.
The spike in involuntary part-time work is particularly concerning—it means nearly a million more people are bringing home smaller paychecks than they’d like, making it harder to cover rent, groceries, and other expenses.
For Different Groups:
- By Race: Black unemployment (8.3%) remains more than double the White rate (3.9%), though Asian unemployment (3.6%) is lowest among major groups
- By Gender: Men and women face similar unemployment rates (both 4.1% for adults)
- By Education: Those without a high school diploma face 6.8% unemployment, while college graduates see just 2.9%
About Federal Job Cuts: The report notes that federal employees who “accepted a deferred resignation offer” came off payrolls in October, contributing to the massive 162,000-job decline that month. The November loss of another 6,000 federal jobs suggests ongoing workforce reductions. Over 10 months, this represents roughly a 10% reduction in federal employment.
Context and Limitations
Critical Data Gap: This report is unusual because a federal government shutdown (October 1-November 12, 2025) prevented collection of October 2025 data entirely. This means:
- We’re comparing November 2025 to September 2025 (skipping October)
- November data collection started late and was extended to compensate
- The survey response rate was lower than normal (64.0% vs. typical rates)
- Statistical margins of error are larger than usual
The report notes it’s “not possible to precisely quantify the effect of the federal government shutdown” on the estimates.
What “Seasonally Adjusted” Means: Most numbers in this analysis are seasonally adjusted, meaning they’re modified to account for predictable patterns (like holiday hiring or summer youth employment). This lets us see underlying trends rather than just seasonal changes. However, the government shutdown disrupted normal seasonal adjustment procedures.
Important Measurement Details:
- People on unpaid leave or furlough during the entire survey week count as unemployed
- Federal workers on furlough during the shutdown were counted as employed if they received pay (even if delayed) for the pay period including November 12
- People must be actively looking for work to count as unemployed—those who’ve given up searching aren’t included in the unemployment rate
Economic Context: The report shows job growth has been essentially flat since April 2025. While 64,000 new jobs isn’t technically negative, it’s well below what’s needed to absorb new workers entering the labor force. The combination of:
- Minimal job creation
- Rising unemployment
- Surging involuntary part-time work
- Stagnant wage growth
…paints a picture of a labor market that has lost considerable momentum from stronger periods.
What This Data Doesn’t Tell Us:
- Why job growth has slowed (business caution? Reduced consumer spending? Policy uncertainty?)
- Whether this slowdown is temporary or marks a longer trend
- How different regions are faring (national averages can hide local variation)
- The quality of jobs being created vs. lost
- Whether the federal workforce reductions reflect planned restructuring or broader economic factors
About the Data Source
This report comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), an agency within the Department of Labor. BLS is the federal government’s principal fact-finding agency for labor economics and statistics, responsible for measuring employment, unemployment, wages, productivity, and workplace safety across America.
The Employment Situation report combines data from two major surveys:
- Establishment Survey: Covers about 631,000 worksites representing roughly one-third of all nonfarm payroll jobs
- Household Survey: Interviews about 60,000 households monthly to determine labor force status
BLS has been producing employment statistics since 1884 and operates independently from political influence in its data collection and analysis—though as this report shows, government shutdowns can disrupt normal operations.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, “The Employment Situation — November 2025,” News Release USDL-25-1581, released December 16, 2025 (delayed from normal schedule due to federal government shutdown).