Unemployment blow for US

Washington: Employers added fewer jobs than forecast in November and the unemployment rate unexpectedly increased, underscoring the Federal Reserve’s decision to pump more money into the economy to spur growth.

Payrolls increased 39,000, less than the most pessimistic projection of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, after a revised 172,000 increase the prior month, Labor Department figures showed in Washington.

The jobless rate rose to 9.8%, the highest since April, while hours worked and earnings stagnated.