National employment for November was greeted as good but mediocre, but the construction sector did not even get to that level, losing 12,000 jobs, Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers showed today.

The monthly report shows that the losses last month combined with 15,000-job decline in October to almost cancel out September's 31,000 jump.

The overall report showed that the country added 140,000 non-farm jobs last month, but government layoffs brought the total down to 120,000.

Total unemployment fell to 8.6 percent from its longtime 9 percent. The government derives that figure from a survey of households, and a decrease likely combines people who have found work and people who have given up looking for work.

Associated General Contractors chief economist Ken Simonson said, "Although the construction unemployment rate fell to 13.1 percent in November from 18.8 percent a year earlier, the lack of industry job growth means former construction workers are finding work elsewhere or leaving the workforce altogether. That’s ominous for future construction hiring.”