The United States added 228,000 jobs in March, surpassing expectations and reinforcing the strength of the labor market, even as uncertainty looms over the economic impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and policy decisions.
According to the Department of Labor, the hiring figure significantly outperformed analysts’ forecasts of 130,000 jobs, and marked a notable increase from February’s revised total of 117,000 jobs.
Sectors that saw job gains included health care and social assistance, as well as in retail trade — “partially reflecting the return of workers from a strike,” the report said.
But federal government employment declined by 4,000 in March.
This came after a loss of 11,000 jobs in February, as markets eye the full impact of the Trump administration’s cuts to the US government.
Average hourly earnings grew 0.3 percent in March to $36.00, picking up slightly from February’s pace.
Looking ahead, economists are also monitoring the effects of sweeping tariffs that Trump imposed on some of the biggest US trading partners in March, alongside even broader action set to take effect in April.
AFP
ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM VERILY NEWS
