Commissioner's Statement on the Employment Situation News Release - 2022 Q01 Results — 2022-04-01

Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 431,000 in March, and the unemployment rate declined by 0.2 percentage point to 3.6 percent. Notable job gains continued in leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, retail trade, and manufacturing. Job growth averaged 562,000 per month in the first quarter of 2022, the same as the average monthly gain for 2021. However, employment is down by 1.6 million, or 1.0 percent, from its February 2020 level before the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Leisure and hospitality continued to add jobs in March (+112,000). Job gains occurred in food services and drinking places (+61,000) and accommodation (+25,000). Employment in leisure and hospitality is down by 1.5 million, or 8.7 percent, from its February 2020 level. In March, job growth continued in professional and business services (+102,000).