Data ‘Distortions’ Affecting Jobs Report, Says Labor Department’s Pollak

US job growth remained sluggish in November and the unemployment rate rose to 4.6%, pointing to a continued cooling in the labor market. The rise in the unemployment rate reflected a surge in those returning to the workforce, with the participation rate and the rate for workers age 25-54 also ticking higher. US Department of Labor Chief Economist Julia Pollak believes, however, that the jobs report contains ‘two big distortions,’ including federal workers coming off payrolls and the prolonged effects of the shutdown, and that the unemployment rate will drop down soon. She joined Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec on ‘Bloomberg Businessweek Daily’ to break down the jobs report and the state of the labor market. (Source: Bloomberg)