U.S. jobless rate decreases in November

The U.S. unemployment rate fell by two-tenths of a point to 7.7 percent in November, a nearly four-year low, according to data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The jobless rate increased to 7.9 percent in October after decreasing to 7.8 percent in September, when the unemployment rate dropped to the lowest rate in nearly four years. The country's jobless rate had been above 8 percent since February 2009.

During November, nonfarm payroll employment rose by 146,000 jobs. The number of unemployed nationwide was roughly flat at 12 million, according to the BLS.