Human Resource Management

HRM Guide World HRM Guide USA HRM Guide UK About HRM Guide Student HRM HR Updates Facebook
Search all of HRM Guide

US Employment Situation (Excerpts)

April 4 2025 - Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 228,000 in March, and the unemployment rate increased slightly to 4.2 percent according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job gains occurred in health care, in social assistance, and in transportation and warehousing. Employment also increased in retail trade, partially reflecting the return of workers from a strike. Federal government employment declined.

Within government, federal government employment declined by 4,000 in March, following a loss of 11,000 jobs in February. (Employees on paid leave or receiving ongoing severance pay are counted as employed in the establishment survey.) DOGE employment cuts have not been reflected yet.

Health care added 54,000 jobs in March, in line with the average monthly gain of 52,000 over the prior 12 months. Over the month, employment continued to trend up in ambulatory health care services (+20,000), hospitals (+17,000), and nursing and residential care facilities (+17,000).

Retail trade added 24,000 jobs in March, as workers returning from a strike contributed to a job gain in food and beverage retailers (+21,000). General merchandise retailers lost 5,000 jobs. Employment in retail trade changed little over the year.

Employment in transportation and warehousing rose by 23,000 in March, about double the prior 12-month average gain of 12,000. In March, job gains in couriers and messengers (+16,000) and truck transportation (+10,000) were partially offset by a job loss in warehousing and storage (-9,000).

Employment showed little change over the month in other major industries, including mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; construction; manufacturing; wholesale trade; information; financial activities; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; and other services.

In March, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 9 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $36.00. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 3.8 percent. In March, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees edged up by 5 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $30.96.

The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for January was revised down by 14,000, from +125,000 to +111,000, and the change for February was revised down by 34,000, from +151,000 to +117,000. With these revisions, employment in January and February combined is 48,000 lower than previously reported. (Monthly revisions result from additional reports received from businesses and government agencies since the last published estimates and from the recalculation of seasonal factors.)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Department of Labor



 
 




HRM Guide makes minimal use of cookies, including some placed to facilitate features such as Google Search. By continuing to use the site you are agreeing to the use of cookies. Learn more here

Contact
HR Directory
Privacy Policy

Anything But Work
British Isles
Psychology Articles
Copyright © 1997-2025 Alan Price and HRM Guide contributors. All rights reserved.