Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 303,000 in March, and the unemployment rate changed little at 3.8 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in health care, government, and construction. This news release presents statistics from two monthly surveys. The household survey measures labor force status, including unemployment, by demographic characteristics. The establishment survey measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry. For more information about the concepts and statistical methodology used in these two surveys, see the Technical Note. Household ... (full story)

The US workforce added 303,000 jobs last month, far more than expected and the 39th straight month of job gains in the US. The unemployment rate was 3.8%. Economists had expected the US to add 192,000 jobs for the month. Hiring has remained surprisingly strong despite the Federal Reserve’s attempts to cool inflation by raising interest rates. Over the last 16 months, the Fed has raised its benchmark interest rates from near zero to over 5%. Hikes have been paused recently and the Fed chair, Jerome Powell, said in March that the central bank would cut rates in response to a perceived weakness in the jobs market. The ... (full story)