U.S. adds 227,000 jobs in November, but it’s not as good as it looks. Fed rate cut on track.

The economy added a seemingly solid 227,000 new jobs in November, but much of the gain was tied to temporary influences instead of resurgence in weakening U.S. labor market.

The rebound in hiring followed a paltry 36,000 increase in new jobs in October, when a strike at Boeing and a pair of major hurricanes depressed employment.

The average 132,000 job gains in the past two months is more reflective of the current state of the labor market: Soft. The economy is adding enough jobs to keep unemployment low, but it’s not nearly as strong it was a few years ago.

The unemployment rate, meanwhile, inched up to 4.2% from 4.1% in the prior month. It’s still quite low by historical standards.

The November jobs report is likely to keep the Fed on track to cut interest rates again when top officials convene in two weeks. Wall Street investors expect the third reduction in the past four months.

Economists polled by The Wall Street Journal forecast a 214,000 increase in new jobs in November.