Non-farm payroll booked an increase of 236,000 in March, a further deceleration from February’s 326,000, which was revised upward from the preliminary figure of 311,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ establishment survey.
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Meanwhile, BLS’s household survey shows that headline unemployment rate dropped back to 3.5%, from 3.6% in February.
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The two surveys in the March jobs report suggests that US labor market is somehow softening but remain resilient.
For example, the average hourly earning growth rate was 4.2% last month, still relatively high but is also continuing the descending trend.
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Also, the labor force participation rate also continues to recover, rising four consecutive months to 62.6%.
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What’s more, the prime-age participation rate was maintained at 83.1%, the peak level reached before the pandemic hit.
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More and more workers returned to the labor market after they sidelined themselves, this will likely support further easing of the super tight job market and give the Fed a glimpse of hope to achieve soft landing.
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