WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has reported that employment growth totaled 228,000 in March, rising above the 140,000-figure projected by Dow Jones economists, according to CNBC. March job growth nearly doubled the previous month’s total, which was revised down by 34,000 to 117,000. The BLS also revised January’s job growth down by 14,000, from 125,000 to 111,000. The U.S. unemployment rate in March was 4.2 percent, up slightly from 4.1 percent in February.
In March, job gains were concentrated in the healthcare, social assistance and transportation and warehousing sectors. More specifically, the healthcare sector added 54,000 jobs, including gains in ambulatory health services (+20,000), hospitals (+17,000) and nursing and residential care facilities (+17,000).
Social assistance increased by 24,000 jobs, higher than the average monthly gain of 19,000 over the previous 12 months.
Retail trade added 24,000 jobs in March — as workers returned from strike — to contribute to a gain in food-and-beverage retailers (+21,000). On the contrary, general merchandise retailers lost 5,000 jobs since February.
The transportation and warehousing sector contributed 23,000 overall jobs, roughly double the prior 12-month average gain of 12,000. Meanwhile, a job loss in warehousing and storage (-9,000) partially offset the gains in the couriers and messengers (+16,000) and truck transportation (+10,000) sectors.
The BLS also reports that federal government employment declined by 4,000 in March, following a loss of 11,000 jobs in February. According to CNN, the federal government announced plans to cut 216,215 jobs last month, which represents 80 percent of the layoffs announced in March. The Trump Administration has emphasized job cuts as part of its Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative, which is tasked to significantly reduce spending by the U.S. government.
There was little change in employment over the month in major industries including mining, quarrying, oil-and-gas extraction, construction, manufacturing, wholesale trade, information, financial activities, professional and business services and leisure and hospitality.