Here’s the story. Very strong jobs report, largely healthcare driven.
But let’s be real about how things have looked the last year in this space. This month is encouraging though.
Construction jumped too
Guvmint jobs down
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So, I guess CV and others are back to trusting the BLS? They need ot make up their mind. I saw some of it earlier this morning, and it is just a snapshot through March. We have yet to see the impact from the war with Iran. But here is a quick summary.
Based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released on April 3, 2026, the March 2026 jobs report presented a mixed picture, showing a drop in the official unemployment rate alongside a contraction in total employment, signaling a “low-hire, low-fire” environment.
- Headline Numbers (March 2026)
- Unemployment Rate: Dropped to 4.3% in March, down from 4.4% in February.
- Employment Levels: Total employment actually fell by 64,000, but the unemployment rate dropped because of a significant decline in the labor force (fewer people looking for work).
- Labor Force Participation: Slipped to 61.9%.
[image]Trading Economics
- Key Trends and Interpretation
- “Low-Hire, Low-Fire” Equilibrium: The labor market has settled into a state where employers are cautious about hiring but reluctant to lay off staff, resulting in stagnant job growth.
- AI and Structural Changes: Artificial intelligence is increasingly impacting hiring, with companies directing capital toward AI investments rather than expanding human headcount. Some layoffs are being attributed to AI replacing roles in tech and finance.
- Sector Performance: Healthcare, which previously drove hiring, has shown signs of slowing. Conversely, construction jobs have remained resilient in some areas, partially supported by infrastructure needs and data center investments.
- Wage Growth vs. Inflation: While wage growth has been fairly consistent, inflation has recently begun to outpace wage gains, applying pressure on consumer spending power, particularly for lower and middle-income households.
Good job numbers, which probably mean Fed will hold rates steady.
But, the wild swings in last 15-16 months is odd. Don’t readily recall
ever seeing that.
By the by “Inflation” is calculated by comparing today’s prices to past years.
You can have a one year rate of change, 3 years, 5,10,20,30…any time period you might want.
Recently I looked up a house in Houston that we bought in 1975. A 50 year analysis. The annual rate of change was 4.4%.
I posted something about gasoline that is factually correct. In 14 years, no change. To the $penny, no change.
Facts do not care who is our President. Our current Blockbuster Employment report is a fact. Whoever is our President, or our Mailman, it is a fact.
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You can drive a car with your feet but that doesn’t make it a good idea.
Well, you posted something about gasoline prices from the
movie Breaking Bad. Do you know where that scene was filmed ?
Irregardless, your posted fact, one data point in time, does not mean much.
Look at Feb and March of 2016 ( $1.87, $2.07).
Or December 2015 ($2.14)
Can you then claim “no change “ ?
| 2011 | 3.148 | 3.264 | 3.615 | 3.852 | 3.960 | 3.735 | 3.705 | 3.696 | 3.667 | 3.506 | 3.443 | 3.326 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 3.440 | 3.640 | 3.907 | 3.958 | 3.791 | 3.596 | 3.498 | 3.780 | 3.910 | 3.812 | 3.521 | 3.381 |
| 2013 | 3.391 | 3.736 | 3.779 | 3.638 | 3.675 | 3.689 | 3.661 | 3.645 | 3.604 | 3.420 | 3.322 | 3.357 |
| 2014 | 3.392 | 3.434 | 3.606 | 3.735 | 3.750 | 3.766 | 3.688 | 3.565 | 3.484 | 3.255 | 2.997 | 2.632 |
| 2015 | 2.208 | 2.301 | 2.546 | 2.555 | 2.802 | 2.885 | 2.880 | 2.726 | 2.462 | 2.387 | 2.260 | 2.144 |
| 2016 | 2.057 | 1.872 | 2.071 | 2.216 | 2.371 | 2.467 | 2.345 | 2.284 | 2.327 | 2.359 | 2.295 | 2.366 |
| 2017 | 2.458 | 2.416 | 2.437 | 2.528 | 2.503 | 2.460 | 2.414 | 2.494 | 2.761 | 2.621 | 2.678 | 2.594 |
| 2018 | 2.671 | 2.705 | 2.709 | 2.873 | 2.987 | 2.970 | 2.928 | 2.914 | 2.915 | 2.943 | 2.736 | 2.457 |
| 2019 | 2.338 | 2.393 | 2.594 | 2.881 | 2.946 | 2.804 | 2.823 | 2.707 | 2.681 | 2.724 | 2.693 | 2.645 |
| 2020 | 2.636 | 2.533 | 2.329 | 1.938 | 1.961 | 2.170 | 2.272 | 2.272 | 2.274 | 2.248 | 2.200 | 2.284 |
| 2021 | 2.420 | 2.587 | 2.898 | 2.948 | 3.076 | 3.157 | 3.231 | 3.255 | 3.272 | 3.384 | 3.491 | 3.406 |
| 2022 | 3.413 | 3.611 | 4.322 | 4.213 | 4.545 | 5.032 | 4.668 | 4.087 | 3.817 | 3.935 | 3.799 | 3.324 |
| 2023 | 3.445 | 3.501 | 3.535 | 3.711 | 3.666 | 3.684 | 3.712 | 3.954 | 3.958 | 3.742 | 3.443 | 3.257 |
| 2024 | 3.197 | 3.328 | 3.542 | 3.733 | 3.725 | 3.576 | 3.600 | 3.507 | 3.338 | 3.261 | 3.175 | 3.139 |
| 2025 | 3.196 | 3.247 | 3.223 | 3.299 | 3.278 | 3.276 | 3.250 | 3.258 | 3.293 | 3.190 | 3.179 | 3.024 |
| 2026 | 2.936 | 3.039 | 3.771 | i |
https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&s=emm_epm0_pte_nus_dpg&f=m
Did you read all the facts to gather context ? Hi lighting added for clarity.The job growth is very choppy.
The U.S. recorded strong job gains in March, rebounding from dismal losses a month earlier, a jobs report on Friday showed. The reading far exceeded economists’ expectations.
The U.S. added 178,000 jobs in March, according to the report, which marked a sharp increase from 133,000 jobs lost in the previous month.
The U.S. added an average of about 15,000 jobs per month in 2025, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data showed. That performance amounted to a sharp slowdown from 186,000 jobs added each month in 2024.
He saw the jobs report numbers featured in a show he watched, it can’t get more factual than that.
Actually I read the Jobs Report on The Internet, where it gained mention on various Newspaper blogs and on other blogs.
By merely reading anything today you would know about this report.
The 2014 scene in Breaking Bad was filmed around Albuquerque. As was the entire series. And of course that is the most competitive area of The State
Thanks; didn’t know that.
But the fact remains it’s meaningless to say there has been no change. Yes, your movie
reference point and price you paid today may be the same; but the bigger point is gas and diesel is significantly higher today overall. It may be temporary or might become the new norm if gulf oil infrastructure continues to be targeted. The off ramp I thought and hoped we would be taking was passed up.
In regards to jobs, we have now added a net
45,000 jobs over 2 months , or a very meager
22,500 job average over 2 months. That’s not great. We will need to see how April numbers
look and what the March revisions will be before I’m ready to be cheering over this report. Hope for the best, but the recent months have been very uneven.
It’s worth noting that Breaking Bad didn’t film anything in 2014. The last season filmed between December 2012 and April 2013. It’s still a silly argument, but we can at least get the facts straight. 
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Keep in mind, government jobs are decreasing monthly
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Yes those are actual people who now don’t have jobs and aren’t contributing fully to the economy anymore. Additionally, Powell just said couple weeks ago there’s been zero net growth in job creation in the private sector over the last 6 months. Not great!
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That was then; this is now.
Construction employment increased by 26,000 jobs. Transportation and warehousing payrolls advanced by 21,000 positions, though employment in the sector remained down by 139,000 since peaking in February 2025.
There were further gains in social assistance employment. Manufacturing, which the T rump administration is trying to shore up with import duties, saw payrolls increasing by 15,000 jobs - the biggest gain since November 2023. Still factory payrolls are down 82,000 since January 2025.
Leisure and hospitality employment rebounded 44,000, with the bulk of the increase at restaurants and bars. Federal government employment declined by another 18,000 jobs, and is down 355,000, or 11.8% since peaking in October 2024. The White House embarked on an unprecedented campaign to slash the size of federal agencies, which T rump argued were bloated. The federal government is, however, now actively recruiting workers.
Who are paid by the taxpayers
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Well, not if they are no longer employed.
And have you noticed the deficit and national debt have not decreased at all with the loss of the government jobs you seem to be extolling as good thing. Debt and deficit increased rather significantly.
Where is the benefit ?
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