Payrolls in biggest rise since 2012, pushing up wages

Washington

EMPLOYERS in the United States added 321,000 jobs in November, the most since January 2012, driving wage gains and highlighting increased corporate confidence the economy will endure a weakening in global markets.

The advance in payrolls exceeded the most optimistic projection in a Bloomberg survey of economists and followed a 243,000 gain in October that was stronger than previously reported, figures from the Labor Department showed on Friday in Washington. The jobless rate held at a six-year low of 5.8 per cent. Average hourly earnings rose 0.4 per cent, the biggest gain since June last year.