WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans found jobs in a broad range of sectors in November as employers in construction, health care, retail and restaurants ramped up hiring.
Construction employment swelled by 46,000, with homebuilders seeking more staffing to handle growing business. It was that sector's biggest monthly hiring surge in two years.
Health care added more than 32,000 jobs last month after a sharp gain in October. Health care employment has surged over the last 12 months, with nearly a half-million new positions.
Retailers added roughly 31,000 jobs in November. Outlets selling clothing and general merchandise, as well as auto dealers, led the surge.
Restaurants and bars ramped up hiring, too, a sign of confidence that Americans will have the discretionary pay to keep eating out. That sector accounted for nearly 32,000 added jobs in November.
Two industry groups recorded losses: Information and mining. Mining, which includes oil-related industries, continued to shed workers amid low energy prices.
It was also a tough month to be in the movie-making business. Motion picture and sound recording firms lost more than 13,000 jobs.
Overall, U.S. employers added a robust 211,000 jobs in November. The unemployment rate held steady at 5 percent.
| Industry (change from previous month) | November 2015 | October 2015 | Year to date | Past 12 months |
| Construction | 46,000 | 34,000 | 215,000 | 259,000 |
| Manufacturing | -1,000 | 1,000 | 17,000 | 36,000 |
| Retail | 30,700 | 40,600 | 284,400 | 284,200 |
| Transportation, warehousing | 6,400 | -5,700 | 49,400 | 87,800 |
| Information (Telecom, publishing) | -12,00 | 2,000 | 28,000 | 34,000 |
| Financial services | 14,000 | 10,000 | 134,000 | 141,000 |
| Professional services (Accounting, engineering, temp work) | 27,000 | 90,000 | 534,000 | 606,000 |
| Education and health | 40,000 | 71,000 | 584,000 | 638,000 |
| Hotels, restaurants, entertainment | 39,000 | 48,000 | 382,000 | 438,000 |
| Government | 14,000 | -6,000 | 83,000 | 93,000 |
| Source: Labor Department |