Mexican factory exports jump in November; jobless rate steady

Mexican factory exports bounced back in November from a deep slump in the previous month, while the unemployment rate held steady, data from the national statistics agency showed on Friday.

Adjusted for seasonal swings, factory exports rose 4.6 percent in November from October, when they had their sharpest drop in nearly four years.

Mexico exports mostly factory-made goods, and uneven demand in its top trading partner, the United States, has weighed on Latin America's No. 2 economy.

The jump in factory exports helped lift Mexico's trade balance to a US$28 million dollars surplus in November when adjusted for seasonal swings. This was the nation's first surplus since February 2015.

In non-seasonally adjusted terms, Mexico posted a trade surplus of US$200 million.

A separate report showed Mexico's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.6 percent in November.