Biggest months of job gains and losses

The Labor Department's report Friday that the U.S. economy suffered a net loss of 533,000 jobs in November means that last month was the sixth-worst month for job cuts since World War II. The size of the overall work force has more than doubled during that time, however.

Top months of net job losses since World War II:

_September 1945: 1.96 million: Labor force: Data unavailable.

_October 1949: 834,000. Labor force: 62.2 million. Percentage loss: 1.34.

_July 1956: 629,000. Labor force: 66.7 million. Percentage loss: 0.94.

_December 1974: 602,000. Labor force: 92.8 million. Percentage loss: 0.65.

_February 1946: 589,000. Labor force: Data unavailable.

_ November 2008: 533,000. Labor force: 154.6 million. Percentage: 0.34.

Top months of net gains:

_ September 1983: 1.1 million. Labor force: 112.3 million. Percentage gain: 0.98.

_ March 1946: 942,000. Labor force: Data unavailable.

_ August 1952: 778,00. Labor force: 61.8 million. Percentage: 1.26.

_August 1950: 734,000. Labor force: 62.6 million. Percentage: 1.24

_January 1946: 728,000. Labor force: Data unavailable.

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