Stories

Fri, 03 Apr 2026

Fri, 03 Apr 2026 US jobs surge unexpectedly in March despite Iran war

Employers added 178,000 jobs, far more than had expected, the Labor Department says.

* US employers added 178,000 jobs in March
* Unemployment rate dipped to 4.3%
* Job gains driven by health care industry, but extended into construction and manufacturing sectors
* Financial firms and information sector (including film, publishing, and tech) posted losses, as did government
* Analysts attribute surge in hiring to end of strikes in health care industry and resilience of job market
* Figures likely to bolster case for Federal Reserve to hold off on cutting interest rates due to uncertainty surrounding energy prices and inflation concerns.