The U.S. economy added 199,000 jobs in November, a number that supports current thinking that we are in for a ‘soft landing’ instead of a recession in early 2024. The unemployment rate slipped by 0.1% to 3.7%, and the Labor Department says the biggest job gains came in health care and government, with some upside to manufacturing after UAW workers signed a contract and returned to work for General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Stellantis. Employment in retail sales declined.

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