Employment in manufacturing, mining and wholesale trade changed little over the month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Employment was also unchanged in retail trade, transportation and warehousing, information, financial activities, leisure and hospitality, and government. Employment increased in construction (+19,000), professional and business services (+63,000) and health care (+28,000).

Overall, total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 178,000 in November, and the unemployment rate declined by 0.3 percent to 4.6 percent.

The number of job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs edged down by 194,000 to 3.6 million in November. The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little changed at 1.9 million and accounted for 24.8 percent of the unemployed. Over the past 12 months, the number of long-term unemployed was down by 198,000.

In November, 1.9 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force, up by 215,000 from a year earlier.