WASHINGTON, DC - For the second consecutive month U.S. manufacturing created jobs in November, according to a Dec. 2 employment report from the Labor Department.

"That's the first time that's happened in more than a year," noted National Association of Manufacturers chief economist David Huether.

With 215,000 new non-farm jobs created across all economic sectors last month, Huether observed, "The overall economy's strong underpinnings have helped it weather the Gulf storms that battered employment in September and October. That manufacturing followed up a gain of 15,000 jobs in October with 11,000 more in November suggests that solid growth in orders and production reported earlier this week will keep U.S. industry in its steady recovery mode into next year."

Huether said that as the overall unemployment rate held steady at 5%, U.S. manufacturing boosted employment to 14.27 million workers. "Of course," he added, "we've barely made a dent in recovering the 3 million jobs we lost in the last recession."

While the job gains in October largely reflected a return to work by striking aerospace workers, November's gains were spread throughout most durable goods sectors. "Considering last month's 3.4% rise in durable goods orders, it looks like business investment is accelerating, and that bodes well for additional manufacturing job creation in coming months," Huether said.

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