Bureau of Labor Statistics

America’s labor market remained strong during November 2017 according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  After adding 244,000 in October (downwardly revised from 268,000), employers increased payrolls by 228,000 in the penultimate month of the year.  Our nation’s unemployment rate held steady at 4.1 percent, tied the lowest level since December 2000. 

America’s productivity jumped from July through September of 2017 according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  Output-per-labor-hour increased 3.0 percent on an annualized basis, doubling the prior quarter’s pace.  This jump is the best quarterly improvement since the third quarter of 2014.  Additionally, unit labor costs rose as employee compensation