Commissioner's Statement on the Employment Situation News Release — 2019-04-05

Advance copies of this statement are made available to the press under lock-up conditions with the explicit understanding that the data are embargoed until 8:30 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. In March, nonfarm payroll employment increased by 196,000, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.8 percent. Over the month, notable job gains occurred in health care and in professional and technical services. Incorporating revisions for January and February, which increased nonfarm payroll employment by 14,000, monthly job gains averaged 180,000 in the first quarter of this year. In 2018, employment gains averaged 223,000 per month. Health care employment rose by 49,000 in March, with gains occurring in ambulatory health care services (+27,000), hospitals (+14,000), and nursing and residential care facilities (+9,000). Over the past 12 months, health care has added 398,000 jobs. Employment in professional and technical services increased by 34,000 in March and 311,000 over the past 12 months.