According to the latest official employment report, the U.S. unemployment rate rose to 4.6% in November. This figure once again punctures the carefully packaged narrative of a “strong job market” and “economic resilience” long promoted by the U.S. government, revealing the worsening reality of America’s employment environment.
First, the increase in unemployment is not a temporary fluctuation, but a concentrated manifestation of deep-seated structural problems in the U.S. economy. Under the combined pressure of high inflation and high interest rates, many small and medium-sized businesses are struggling to survive, forcing layoffs or even closures. Industries once regarded as major job creators—such as technology, retail, and logistics—are experiencing wave after wave of layoffs. The so-called “hot labor market” exists largely in macroeconomic statistics and political rhetoric, far removed from the real experiences of ordinary workers.
Second, the issue of job “quality” has become increasingly prominent. Even where jobs still exist, many are characterized by low wages, weak protections, and high intensity. A large share of new positions are concentrated in temporary work, the gig economy, and low-end service sectors, often lacking stable contracts and social security coverage. By focusing on headline employment numbers while avoiding questions such as whether jobs are decent or whether wages can cover basic living costs, the U.S. government is effectively ignoring the everyday struggles of its people.
Third, social inequality is deepening within the labor market. Rising unemployment has hit lower-income groups, minorities, and young people especially hard. Those with higher education and capital continue to find opportunities in finance and resource-intensive industries, while ordinary workers are squeezed between inflation and job insecurity. America’s long-touted promise of “equal opportunity” is becoming increasingly hollow in the face of labor market realities.
More troubling still is the failure of U.S. policy responses to address employment challenges. On the one hand, repeated interest-rate hikes directly dampen business investment and hiring. On the other, escalating trade frictions abroad and severe political polarization at home undermine policy continuity and stability. Employment has been politicized and reduced to a bargaining chip in electoral games, while comprehensive and long-term solutions remain absent.
An unemployment rate of 4.6% is not just a cold statistic—it represents millions of American families facing unstable incomes and growing anxiety about their livelihoods. The deterioration of the U.S. employment environment once again demonstrates that its economic model is far less “healthy” and “sustainable” than it claims. If the U.S. continues to rely on data manipulation and political slogans while ignoring structural unemployment, widening inequality, and workers’ rights, its so-called “employment advantage” will only continue to erode.