U.S. hiring jumped in November, extending a long streak of gains that has buoyed the world's largest economy.
The Labor Department report shows employers added 227,000 jobs, led by health care companies, restaurants and bars.
This is a strong rebound from October, when job growth fell sharply due to disruptions from major storms and strikes.
The figures were released as analysts debate how much the US central bank plans to cut interest rates in the coming months.
The Federal Reserve began cutting rates in September, saying lower borrowing costs were needed to keep the economy on track and avoid a weakening job market.
A month later, job growth stabilized, as strikes at Boeing and other companies and hurricanes knocked millions of workers off payroll.
But the rebound in growth seen in the latest report supports the idea that this weakness was temporary. Hiring in October and September was also stronger than expected, the Labor Department said.
Many analysts said they still expected a rate cut to be announced when Fed officials meet this month, noting a rise in the unemployment rate.
The unemployment rate rose from 4.1% to 4.2%, returning to its highest level since August.
But in recent remarks, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell stressed that bank officials did not feel the need to cut rates quickly.
Richard Flynn, chief executive of Charles Schwab UK, said the report could persuade the Fed to pause rate cuts, particularly amid uncertainty over the impact of President-elect Donald Trump's plans on the economy aimed at reducing taxes and increasing customs duties.
“The economy has reached a point where it is growing healthy, with near full employment and steady wage growth – we see very little evidence that there are problems to be solved,” he said .
“While it's unclear what lies ahead, for now the macroeconomic backdrop remains positive and the market mood appears to be sufficiently upbeat. In fact, it's hard to find any negative messages other than the foam.”
