Statement of Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis on November employment numbers

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on the November 2012 Employment Situation report released today:

"Our nation added 146,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in November, while the unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent, its lowest level since December 2008.

"November's jobs report means we've now seen 33 straight months of private sector job growth totaling nearly 5.6 million jobs. This year, we've created an average of 154,000 private sector jobs a month.

"Job gains were reported last month in nearly every hiring category. Hiring in the business and professional services sector is back to its pre-recession peak. Consumer confidence is high, and Americans are shopping again. Last month retailers added 53,000 jobs in anticipation of increased holiday sales.

"While Hurricane Sandy did not affect the unemployment rate, it did result in 1.5 million Americans experiencing some sort of disruption in employment. Families have lost their homes and possessions, and communities have lost businesses and public infrastructure. It's more critical than ever for America to rebuild. Hurricane Sandy underscores the need to repair our crumbling infrastructure and why it's so important for Congress to act on President Obama's plan to create a national infrastructure bank and put our construction workers back on the job.

"There's more work to be done, but our economic recovery remains on the right trajectory. More than ever, the American people need Washington to work for them and offer solutions. The last thing we can afford is to raise taxes on the middle class at a time when their spending is helping to drive the job gains of this recovery. It's time to govern, and for every member of Congress to find common ground and cooperate to solve our nation's fiscal and economic challenges."