US jobs report: payrolls rise 64,000 in November, unemployment hits 4.6%

US employers added 64,000 jobs in November, data released Tuesday by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed, exceeding economists' expectations of a gain of 50,000. At the same time, the unemployment rate rose to 4.6%, up from 4.2% a year earlier. The increase in nonfarm payrolls by 64,000 in November followed a revised decline of 105,000 in October after a surprise increase of 119,000 in September. The October slump was driven largely by a sharp contraction in government employment, as deferred layoffs ...