WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nonfarm employment in the United States rose by 303,000 jobs in March, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The March total eclipsed the expectation of 200,000 jobs set by Dow Jones economists, according to CNBC. The figure also exceeds the average monthly gain of 231,000 jobs over the past 12 months.
The employment sectors that saw the biggest leap last month were in healthcare (72,000 jobs) and government (71,000 jobs). Within the healthcare industry, employment in ambulatory healthcare services rose by 28,000 jobs, followed by employment in hospitals (27,000) and nursing and residential care facilities (18,000). The healthcare industry’s average monthly gain is 60,000 over the past 12 months.
Government employment in March surpassed the rolling 12-month average of 54,000 jobs. Over the month, employment increased in local government (49,000) and federal government (9,000).
Other sectors that saw above-average increases in March included construction (39,000 jobs compared to its 12-month average of 19,000) and leisure and hospitality (49,000 jobs compared to an average of 37,000 over the prior 12 months). The BLS also reports that employment in leisure and hospitality has returned to its pre-pandemic level set in February 2020. The sector was the among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic more than four years ago.
The BLS also reports the March unemployment rate is at 3.8 percent, down from 3.9 percent in February. The unemployment rate has settled in at a narrow band of 3.7 percent to 3.9 percent dating back to August 2023, according to the BLS. Additionally, the BLS made minimal revisions to the January and February job gains. The BLS revised the January figure to 256,000 jobs, an upward revision by 27,000, and February to 270,000 jobs, a downward revision by 5,000.