Employers in the United States added 228,000 workers to their payrolls in March, the Department of Labor said Friday, and the unemployment rate inched up to 4.2 percent.
Economists had been expecting just 140,000 jobs would be added in March. The climb in the unemployment rate was expected.
The private sector’s hiring was much stronger than expected. Economists had forecast 115,000 jobs. Businesses added 209,000 jobs.
The workforce participation rate climbed from 62.4 percent to 62.5 percent. The average workweek lengthened, a sign of increased demand for labor. Average hourly earnings rose 0.3 percent compared with February and 3.8 percent compared with a year ago.
The strong jobs number is the latest piece of economic data suggesting the economy remains on a solid footing despite surveys showing gloomy consumer sentiment, rising policy uncertainty, and businesses wary of future economic conditions.
