By Tom Burnett CFA
On April 3, 2026, the Bureau of Labor Statistics issued its Employment Report for March 2026. Total nonfarm employment increased by 178,000 for the month, after falling by 133,000 in February. The unemployment rate fell slightly to 4.3%. The number of job seekers rose to 7.2 million, little changed from a year ago. Federal employment is down 355,000 from its recent high level at October 2024.
Average hourly earnings for nonfarm payrolls rose $0.09 to $37.31, up by 3.5% from one year ago.
Revisions to prior reports totaled a reduction of 7,000.
The next Employment Report will be issued on May 8, 2026.
Tom Burnett CFA is Director of Research.