Headline RoundupApril 1st, 2022

US Economy Added 431,000 Jobs in March

Summary from the AllSides News Team

The U.S. economy added another 431,000 jobs in March while the unemployment rate fell to 3.6%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.

The number of jobs added was below the 490,000 new jobs predicted by economists, and well below February's jobs gains. Meanwhile, the 3.6% unemployment rate is the lowest since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020. The labor force participation rate grew to 62.4%, continuing its recovery but still beneath the 63.4% rate seen in February 2020. The U.S. has now recovered over 90% of the roughly 22 million jobs lost at the start of the pandemic.

Average hourly earnings increased 13 cents in March, putting average wage growth increases over the past year at 5.6%. The annual inflation rate remains high at 7.9%, the highest 12-month change since in nearly 40 years.

News sources across the spectrum painted the report as a positive sign of economic growth, while also highlighting how wage growth isn't keeping up with inflation. Some reports from right-rated sources framed ongoing inflation as more of a concern that could counteract other economic gains.

Featured Coverage of this Story

More headline roundups

AllSides Picks

More News about Economy and Jobs from the Left, Center and Right

From the Left

From the Center

From the Right