Job gains in a slumping market were about three times the forecast, partly boosted by construction firms adding positions in warmer weather
2-MIN READ2-MIN ListenAssociated PressPublished: 10:23pm, 3 Apr 2026American employers added a surprisingly strong 178,000 new jobs last month, rebounding from a dismal February, while the unemployment rate dipped to 4.3 per cent.
The Labor Department reported on Friday that hiring marked a rebound from the loss of 133,000 jobs in February.
The job gains were about three times what economists had forecast.
The unemployment rate was down from 4.4 per cent in February. That is partly because the labour force – those working and looking for work – dropped by 396,000 in March so fewer people were competing for jobs.
Healthcare companies added 76,400 jobs last month, boosted by the return of 31,000 Kaiser Permanente employees to work after the end of a strike in February.
Factories added 15,000 jobs last month but have still shed jobs for 14 of the last 16 months.
