America added a disappointing 210,000 jobs in November. But the details paint a different picture

The November jobs report looked disappointing at first glance, but the details show that the recovery is very much moving along.

US employers added another 210,000 jobs to the economy in November, far fewer than expected, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. It was the smallest number of jobs added to the US economy since December 2020, when the economy actually shed jobs amid a surge in Covid cases.

Economists had expected more than double the number of jobs created in November, forecasting a continuation of the buoyant economic recovery over the past two months.

Instead, the November jobs gain was more reminiscent of the pre-pandemic economy, when employers added a smaller but steady number of positions, at least on the face of it.

But even with a smaller-than-expected number for November, job gains this year have totaled more than 6 million, "putting us well on track for a full recovery by the end of 2022," according to Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute.

That said, Friday's report also comes as the Omicron variant has become a global concern. What's worse is that the November jobs tally was completed before the new variant was even identified. Some economists expect hiring might slow this month as businesses and employees grapple with the ramifications of the new variant.