WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. employers are thought to have hired at another robust pace in November in the latest sign that the United States is outshining struggling economies throughout the developed world.
Analysts have forecast that the economy generated 225,000 jobs last month and that the unemployment rate remained 5.8 percent, according to a survey by FactSet. If those predictions prove generally accurate, November would mark the 10th straight month of strong U.S. job gains above 200,000 and would put 2014 on track to be the best year for hiring since 1999.
The government will release the November employment report at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time Friday.
The improving U.S. job market contrasts with weakness elsewhere around the globe. Growth among the 18 European nations in the euro alliance is barely positive, and the eurozone’s unemployment rate is 11.5 percent. Japan is in recession.
China’s growth has slowed as it seeks to rein in excessive lending tied to real estate development. Other large developing countries, including Russia and Brazil, are also straining to grow.