Unemployment rose to a four-year high of 4.6% in November, and the economy added 64,000 jobs last month, new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed Tuesday. Last month’s job gains, which came in higher than expected, followed a 105,000-job loss for October, according to a jobs report that was one of the most atypical in recent history.

After moving up to 4.6% the U.S. unemployment rate is now at its highest level since October 2021 toward the tail end of the pandemic. The jobless rates had soared to as high as 14.8% during the health crisis.

The US labor market grew by 64,000 non-farm payroll jobs in the month of November, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) delayed report, after falling by 105,000 jobs in October amid the government shutdown.

In the first full jobs report since the federal shutdown, the government reported a rise in the jobless rate to 4.6 percent last month, up from 4.4 percent from the last gauge in September. The unemployment rate for November was the highest in four years.

Unemployed workers collecting benefits will be required to record three work search activities a week starting next year.

Economists also note that the report showed that wages are growing at the lowest rate in years. Although Americans’ earnings are still outpacing inflation, average hourly earnings grew at an annual rate of 3.5% in November, whereas inflation grew at a 3% rate in September, marking the slowest pace since 2021.

While a falling unemployment rate sounds like a good thing, it can actually be indicative of people leaving the labor force because they can't find a job.

The unemployment rate jumped to 4.6%, its highest level since September 2021 – up from 4.4% in September, according to government data.