Monthly average job growth in 2019 stands at just under 180,000 jobs per month, compared to 182,000 in 2018, and 195,000 in 2017.
While some of the November job gains were attributed to workers ending a strike against General Motors, the November job gains were the second largest of 2019, trailing only the 312,000 jobs created in January.
GOP lawmakers in Congress hailed the new numbers.
BOOM! The November jobs report CRUSHED expectations. 266,000 new jobs were created!...far more than was estimated.
— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) December 6, 2019
Unemployment is at a 50 year low!
This economy just keeps getting stronger. 🇺🇸💪
Payroll employment rises by 266,000 in November; unemployment rate changes little at 3.5% https://t.co/NsuHovcqn0 #JobsReport #BLSdata
— BLS-Labor Statistics (@BLS_gov) December 6, 2019
While the jobs report indicated stronger than expected growth, the overall numbers in terms of U.S. economic output have shown a slower pace of growth in recent months than earlier in 2019.
The U.S. Gross Domestic Product was at 3.1 percent in the first quarter of 2019, but dropped to 2.0 percent in the second quarter.
The current estimate is for a 2.1 percent growth rate in the third quarter of 2019.
President Trump has repeatedly blamed slowing growth on the head of the Federal Reserve - whom he nominated for the post - arguing the Fed should have cut interest rates more to spur economic activity in the U.S.
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