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                        Statement of
                              
                       Philip L. Rones
                     Acting Commissioner
                 Bureau of Labor Statistics
                              
                  Friday, December 8, 2006



     Payroll employment rose by 132,000 in November, and the
unemployment rate was essentially unchanged at 4.5 percent.
The November employment gain followed increases of 203,000
in September and 79,000 in October (as revised).  Over the
month, employment rose in several service-providing
industries.  Job losses continued in construction and
manufacturing.

     Employment in professional and business services
continued to grow in November (43,000).  Over the year, the
industry has added 426,000 jobs.  Growth has occurred during
this period in a number of the component industries,
including architectural and engineering services, management
consulting services, and computer systems design.

     Health care employment rose by 28,000 in November,
bringing the increase over the year to 309,000.  In
November, job growth continued in hospitals and in
ambulatory health care services, which includes doctors'
offices.

     Within the leisure and hospitality sector, employment
growth continued in food services and drinking places, which
added 34,000 jobs over the month and 295,000 over the year.

     Employment in retail trade edged up in November, with
gains in health and personal care stores; clothing and
accessory stores; sporting goods, hobby, book, and music
stores; and nonstore retailers, which include catalog and
internet retailers.  Over the month, job losses continued in
general merchandise stores, after seasonal adjustment.
Employment in this industry has decreased by 107,000 since
August 2005.

     Employment continued to grow in mining in November.
Since its low point in April 2003, mining employment has
risen by 136,000, mainly in support activities.

     Construction employment fell sharply for the second
month in a row.  The November decline (-29,000) was
widespread across the component industries.  Since peaking
in February of this year, residential specialty trades
employment has fallen by 109,000.  Nonresidential specialty
trades added jobs during the first 10 months of the year,
but employment in the industry edged down in November.

     Employment in manufacturing continued its downward
trend in November (-15,000).  The over-the-month decline was
concentrated in durable goods manufacturing.   Employment
continued to fall in motor vehicles and in two construction-
related industries--wood products and furniture.  In
November, both the manufacturing workweek and factory
overtime decreased by 0.1 hour to 41.1 and 4.2 hours,
respectively.

     Average hourly earnings for private production and
nonsupervisory workers increased 3 cents in November to
$16.94, a gain of 0.2 percent.  Over the year, average
hourly earnings rose by 4.1 percent.

     Most major indicators from the survey of households
showed little or no change in November.  The civilian labor
force increased by 383,000 persons over the month, and the
labor force participation rate was 66.3 percent.  The
unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in November, essentially
unchanged from 4.4 percent in October.  The unemployment
rate had ranged from 4.6 to 4.8 percent in the first 9
months of the year.

     In summary, payroll employment rose by 132,000 in
November, and the unemployment rate was 4.5 percent.