U.S. employment rose in November as the jobless rate dipped. Labor settlements in both Hollywood and Detroit helped boost total non-farm payroll jobs by 199,000 last month.
Unemployment edged down to 3.7%, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics in its monthly report — an unexpectedly strong number.
The motion picture and sound recording industries added more than 17,000 jobs, mostly reflecting the resolution of labor strife in the industry as the AMPTP reached new three-year deals with both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. The strikes had frozen much production. The industry totaled 462,600 workers for the month.
Despite the bump, motion picture and sound recording is down from a year ago November when it had 487,700 employees. A report yesterday indicated jobs in Hollywood have fallen by about 17% in the past year but that’s not all due to the strikes with macroeconomic factors and belt-tightening in the industry having an impact.
The segment is part of the broader information industry category, which has declined by 104,000 over the same timeframe.
Employment in manufacturing rose by 28,000 in November, reflecting an increase of 30,000 in motor vehicles and parts as auto workers returned from their strike after the UAW’s landmark settlement last month.
