BLS Jobs Report Press Release:

THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION -- NOVEMBER 2025

NEWS RELEASE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR USDL-25-1581

Transmission of material in this news release is embargoed until 8:30 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, December 16, 2025

THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION — NOVEMBER 2025

Total nonfarm payroll employment changed little in November (+64,000) and has shown little net change since April, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. In November, the unemployment rate, at 4.6 percent, was little changed from September. Employment rose in health care and construction in November, while federal government continued to lose jobs.

Federal Government Shutdown

Publication of November 2025 data was delayed by more than a week because of a lapse in federal appropriations (from October 1 through November 12). Both the household and establishment surveys required additional data collection and processing time in November. BLS did not publish an October 2025 Employment Situation news release.

For more information, see the additional notes about the impact of the shutdown on the household survey (page 4) and the establishment survey (page 5).

Establishment Survey Data Total nonfarm payroll employment changed little in November (+64,000) and has shown little net change since April. In November, employment rose in health care and construction. Federal government employment declined by 6,000, following a loss of 162,000 in October. (See table B-1.) In November, health care added 46,000 jobs, in line with the average monthly gain of 39,000 over the prior 12 months. Over the month, job gains occurred in ambulatory health care services (+24,000), hospitals (+11,000), and nursing and residential care facilities (+11,000). Construction employment grew by 28,000 in November, as nonresidential specialty trade contractors added 19,000 jobs. Construction employment had changed little over the prior 12 months. Employment in social assistance continued to trend up in November (+18,000), primarily in individual and family services (+13,000).

In November, employment edged down in transportation and warehousing (-18,000), reflecting a job loss in couriers and messengers (-18,000). Transportation and warehousing employment has declined by 78,000 since reaching a peak in February.

Federal government employment continued to decrease in November (-6,000). This follows a sharp decline of 162,000 in October, as some federal employees who accepted a deferred resignation offer came off federal payrolls. Federal government employment is down by 271,000 since reaching a peak in January. (Federal employees on furlough during the government shutdown were counted as employed in the establishment survey because they received pay, even if later than usual, for the pay period that included the 12th of the month. Employees on paid leave or receiving ongoing severance pay are counted as employed in the establishment survey.)

Employment showed little change over the month in other major industries, including mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; manufacturing; wholesale trade; retail trade; information; financial activities; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; and other services. In November, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls edged up by 5 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $36.86. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 3.5 percent. In November, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees rose by 11 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $31.76. (See tables B-3 and B-8.) The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls edged up by 0.1 hour to 34.3 hours in November. In manufacturing, the average workweek changed little at 40.0 hours, and overtime was unchanged at 2.9 hours. The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged at 33.7 hours. (See tables B-2 and B-7.)

The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for August was revised down by 22,000, from -4,000 to -26,000, and the change for September was revised down by 11,000, from +119,000 to +108,000. With these revisions, employment in August and September combined is 33,000 lower than previously reported. Due to the recent federal government shutdown, this is the first publication of October data and thus there are no revisions for October this month. (Monthly revisions result from additional reports received from businesses and government agencies since the last published estimates and from the recalculation of seasonal factors.)