March Payrolls Rise 180,000; Unemployment Dips to 4.4%

U.S. payrolls rose by 180,000 jobs in March and the unemployment rate dipped to 4.4% from 4.5%, the Labor Department said Friday.

The unemployment rate matched October’s reading and a five-year low.

The jobs gain followed a revised 113,000 increase in February that was higher than originally reported, Labor said.
 
Economists predicted payrolls would rise by 130,000 jobs and that unemployment would be 4.6%, Bloomberg reported.
 
Manufacturing employment fell by 16,000 after losing 11,000 in February. Service employment rose by 137,000.
 
The unemployment-rate gauge is based on a survey of households. The number of payroll jobs added is determined by a separate survey of business and government establishments.

Because employment levels drive so much economic activity, an increase in employment can help consumer confidence and spending patterns, which affect trucking demand.