US adds 245,000 jobs in November as COVID-19 surge hampers labor market

The US economy added 245,000 jobs in November — barely more than half the number economists expected — as the coronavirus’ resurgence hampered the labor market’s recovery from the pandemic.

The unemployment rate barely dropped to 6.7 percent last month from 6.9 percent in October amid the record-setting spike in infections, which has led to renewed lockdown measures in some parts of the country, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday.