Employment figures: US data shows steady growth

World’s largest economy adds 192,000 jobs in Mar and unemployment rate held steady at 6.7 %.

WASHINGTON: US jobs growth plodded along at a solid but unspectacular pace in March as the economy appeared to be emerging from one of the coldest winters in recent memory, government data showed. The world’s largest economy added 192,000 jobs in March – a shade below analysts’ average estimate of 195,000 net new jobs – and the unemployment rate held steady at 6.7 %, the Labour Department said. Still, the overall picture was more upbeat about a first quarter plagued by unusually bad winter weather in much of the country. The department revised job growth for the prior two months up a net 37,000. February’s number was hiked by 22,000 to 197,000. The March jobless rate, matching February’s 6.7%, disappointed expectations of a dip. The number of unemployed held steady at 10.5 million. Both measures have shown little movement since December.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6^th, 2014.

Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.