The U.S. manufacturing industry shed 26,000 jobs in November, according to the latest ADP National Employment Report, which underscored continued challenges for America’s factories despite some emerging signs of stabilization in other recent manufacturing activity reports.
Private employers in the United States added a total of 146,000 jobs last month, according to the ADP report, released on Dec. 4. The overall figure was lower than analysts’ prediction for 150,000 new positions, with weakness evident in goods-producing industries, which saw a net gain of just 6,000 new positions last month.
“While overall growth for the month was healthy, industry performance was mixed,” Nela Richardson, ADP chief economist, said in a statement. “Manufacturing was the weakest we’ve seen since spring. Financial services and leisure and hospitality were also soft.”
The construction sector added 30,000 jobs in November, and the mining and natural resources industry saw headcount rise by 2,000. However, manufacturing lost 26,000 jobs, extending October’s loss of 19,000 factory positions and highlighting the ongoing contraction in the ailing sector.
The latest manufacturing activity report from the Institute of Supply Management (ISM) showed that in November the sector contracted for the eighth consecutive month and the twenty-fourth time in the last 25 months. […]
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