Video Credit: Reuters - Politics - Duration: 01:36s - Published
U.S. hiring surges by 916,000 jobs in March
U.S. employers hired the most workers in seven months in March, spurred by increased vaccinations and more pandemic relief money from the government, cementing expectations that an economic boom was underway.
The official U.S. jobs numbers for March are out and they point to an economic recovery that took a major leap forward last month.
916,000 new jobs were created in March, the biggest one-month surge in hiring since August.
That number was way better than expected and nearly double February's upwardly revised hiring figure, according to data released Friday (April 2) by the Labor Department.
With so many Americans going back to work, that drove down the closely-watched unemployment rate.
The jobless rate in March fell to 6 percent, a crisis-era low.
Employers were increasingly confident last month as more Americans got vaccinated and the government doled out additional economic relief money, marking what economists believe could be the start of the strongest economic upswing in decades.
Hiring was seen across the board - all industries added jobs - and was able to absorb the many Americans willing to go back to work.
For the second month in a row, the biggest surge in employment came from the the leisure and hospitality sector, as local economies relaxed health crisis restrictions that began a year ago.
Restaurants and bars accounted for nearly two-thirds of that industry's employment gains.
There was also a bounce-back in construction jobs after harsh winter weather in February depressed hiring in that sector.
Payrolls for local governments saw an uptick as more schools reopened for in-person learning.
But even with March's solid job growth, the labor market recovery still has a long way to go: There are still 8.4 million jobs that have disappeared during the health crisis.
March Retail Sales , Exceeded Expectations.
New Commerce Department data surprised
some analysts on April 15, 'The Hill' reports. .
The agency's latest estimates indicate
that March retail sales increased by 0.7%.
They were only expected
to rise 0.3% last month.
While sales exceeded estimates for March, the jump
was still below the 0.9% increase in February.
Compared to the same time last year, total sales
for the first three months of 2024 were up 2.1%.
On April 10, the Labor Department released data showing that inflation rose last month. .
The consumer price index (CPI)
increased 0.4% in March and 3.5% annually.
In February, consumer prices
increased 3.2% year-over-year. .
Still, the newest Commerce Department data suggests that Americans continue to spend despite prolonged inflation, 'The Hill' reports.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:30Published
Data Shows , US Wages Falling , at a 'Striking' Pace.
Fox News reports that wage growth
in the United States has slowed
significantly over the past year. .
According to new data from Indeed,
wage growth is beginning
to near pre-pandemic levels. .
Indeed's wage tracker showed that salaries have had
a marked drop since January 2022, suggesting that
employers are seeing less competition for new hires.
The pace of deceleration
is striking. Posted wage growth
has fallen by almost 3 percentage
points over the past year, Nick Bunker, Indeed labor economist, via Fox News.
Fox News reports that the most pronounced
deceleration was found in low-wage sectors. .
Given the huge run-up in posted
wages for those sectors, wage growth
is still above its pre-pandemic pace.
How long this will last is uncertain, Nick Bunker, Indeed labor economist, via Fox News.
After remaining historically tight throughout the last
year, the labor market is expected to continue slowing
in the coming months amid elevated interest rates.
Since March of 2022, the Federal Reserve has increased interest rates 11 times in an attempt to slow down inflation and cool the labor market.
Since March of 2022, the Federal Reserve has increased interest rates 11 times in an attempt to slow down inflation and cool the labor market.
In 2024, there have already been a number of significant layoffs, with major companies like Alphabet, Amazon and Citigroup cutting jobs. .
In 2024, there have already been a number of significant layoffs, with major companies like Alphabet, Amazon and Citigroup cutting jobs. .
In 2024, there have already been a number of significant layoffs, with major companies like Alphabet, Amazon and Citigroup cutting jobs. .
Despite this, job growth has
remained resilient, with employers
adding 275,000 jobs in February. .
At the same time, Labor Department
data shows that the unemployment
rate for the month also rose to 3.9%.
Credit: Wibbitz Top Stories Duration: 01:31Published