The jobless rate rose to 5.3 percent in November from 5.1 percent the previous month - not a huge jump, but when you compare it with the 4.4 percent level in November 2006, well, there's your softening economy. Statewide, the unemployment rate is unchanged, at 5.6 percent, and the U.S. was at 4.7 percent. A separate survey shows that 16,600 jobs were added countywide in November from a month earlier, with trade, transportation, and utilities posting the largest month-over gain, and leisure and hospitality dropping 1,600 jobs (that includes 1,400 in the arts, entertainment and recreation category). This was the first month where there might have been some fallout from the writers strike, but with a county workforce of 4.1 million, you're not talking about big numbers. Statewide, employers added only a net 900 new jobs. The sharpest declines were in construction, financial activities, manufacturing, trade, transportation, utilities and government. (EDD release, LAT)