Civic Register
| 4.5.21

U.S. Economy Adds 916K Jobs in March as States Ease Pandemic Restrictions More Broadly

How do you feel about the state of the job market?

This content leverages data from USAFacts, a non-profit that visualizes governmental data. You can learn more on its website, Facebook, and Twitter.

What’s the story?

  • On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its jobs report for March 2021, which found the U.S. economy added 916,000 jobs and the unemployment rate declined by 0.2 percentage points to 6.0%. The report exceeded the Dow Jones forecast of 675,000 jobs and a 6.0% unemployment rate.
  • BLS observed, “These improvements in the labor market reflect the continued resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.” The job gains were the highest since 1.58 million were added in August 2020 and leave total employment about 8.4 million jobs below its pre-pandemic level as this USAFacts chart shows:

Jobs Report Sector Breakdown

  • Leisure and hospitality employment increased by 280,000 with much of the increase occurring in food services and drinking places (+176,000), although the sector as a whole is still 3.1 million jobs below its February 2020 level.
  • Education added jobs as in-person learning and other school-related activities resumed, with local (+76,000) and state (+50,000) government education agencies, and private schools (+64,000) all gaining jobs. Compared to their February 2020 levels, local government education (-594,000), state government education (-270,000), and private education (-310,000) are all well shy of their prior employment levels.
  • Construction added 110,000 jobs after a decline of 56,000 in February that was likely weather-related. It is 182,000 jobs below its February 2020 level.
  • Professional and business services added 66,000 jobs but is 685,000 jobs below its February 2020 level.
  • Manufacturing added 53,000 jobs in March with gains in both durable goods (+30,000) and non-durable goods (+23,000). The manufacturing sector is 515,000 jobs below its February 2020 level.
  • Retail added 23,000 jobs in March with gains by clothing stores (+16,000), motor vehicle and parts dealers (+13,000), and home furnishing stores (+6,000) partially offset by declines in build and garden supply stores (-9,000) and general merchandise stores (-7,000). The sector is 381,000 jobs below its February 2020 level.

Short-Term & Long-Term Unemployment

  • There were 9.7 million unemployed Americans in March, over 43% of whom have been out of work for 27 weeks or more which, in most cases, puts them past the coverage limit of state unemployment insurance programs. The American Rescue Plan Act extended the $300 per week federal enhancement of unemployment benefits through September.
  • This USAFacts chart breaks down how long unemployed Americans have been out of work:

Demographic Unemployment Information

  • Americans without high school diplomas or college degrees suffered the most initial job loss at the onset of the pandemic and have experienced a slower recovery. This USAFacts chart shows that while Americans age 25 and up who have college degrees are only 0.34% below their pre-pandemic level of employment, those with only a high school diploma are 8.7% behind their pre-pandemic level and those without a high school diploma are 10.14% beneath their February 2020 level:

Revisions & Data Notes

  • Employment in February was revised up by 89,000 from +379,000 to +468,000.
  • Employment in January was revised up by 67,000 from +166,000 to +233,000.
  • As it has since March 2020, the BLS published an estimate of what the unemployment rate would have been had misclassified workers been included. The misclassification hinges on a question about the main reason people were absent from their jobs, with people absent due to temporary, pandemic-related closures recorded as absent due to “other reasons” as opposed to unemployed due to temporary layoff.
  • Using this approach, the March 2021 unemployment rate would have been 0.4 percentage points higher than reported. The BLS notes that this represents the upper bound of their estimate of misclassification and probably overstates the size of the misclassification error.
  • According to usual practice at the BLS, data is accepted as recorded in the household survey. To maintain data integrity, no ad hoc actions are taken to reclassify survey responses.


— Eric Revell

(Photo Credit: iStock.com / Pixfly)

  • 85
    Itsjway
    04/25/2021

    I care less about the economics and more about the mutation and spread of the virus. I think some states opened way too early and I fear the rest of the country will bear the burden of these states infected people. I fear we may end up chasing this virus with annual shots like the flu all because we couldn’t close the economy and allowed the virus to mutate

  • 25.8k
    Frank_001
    04/24/2021

    @Brian wrote: "Unemployment is still pretty high in Pennsylvania compared to pre-pandemic, and we're having another surge of coronavirus...." https://www.causes.com/comments/1459723 Hopefully, supplement vaccines will address COVID variants soon. I suspect when there is a true consensus as to when K-12 In School Education can resume safely; THEN we’ll see unemployment return to its normal levels of (dis)function. I am pretty sure that if enacted, the Biden Jobs Plan will get things going. The Jobs Plan calls on Congress to make a historic and overdue investment in our infrastructure — roads, bridges, rail, ports, airports, telecommunications, etc.

  • 22
    Patricia P.
    04/25/2021

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  • 6,674
    Bruce
    04/12/2021

    Even when there is **Full Employment**, most people will live hand to mouth. Most Americans are in constant danger of falling into an inescapable debt trap. The "Economic Downturn" only made the huge chasm between the Have's and the Have-Not's widen. In fact, the wealth of the 0.1% has grown by $Trillions over the last year--and every single dollar was siphoned from the rest of us. And the 0.1% will use their "tax-specialists" to continue to avoid paying any taxes at all. For that they heartily thank Trump and Senator McConnell..

  • 159
    Michael J
    04/12/2021

    Jobs aren’t worth a whole lot without a Living Wage and Benefits. Stop protecting wealthy corporations and individuals and represent Blue Collar Middle Class Americans struggling to get by.

  • 890
    Bobbie
    04/10/2021

    What is so good about it. Slave wages or work until you die?

  • 1,212
    colin
    04/10/2021

    Everywhere we look there are signs HELP WANTED but these are for jobs many cannot afford to take. Laid off from a job and collecting whatever benefits available is difficult most want to work. But if they take a job that interrupts those benefits they stand to lose much more. Those collecting these extended benefits in some cases making more on unemployment than they ever did working. WHY GO The system is broken and it will take more than just handing out extras. The FEDS should never have given out extra they should have supported the state systems that compensate for the income of people and instuted moratoriums on loans etc. to help

  • 1,527
    Lael
    04/10/2021

    neutral

  • 706
    Dan
    04/10/2021

    Good grief, how delusional are you when you think stimulus payments equate to job growth? Come on people, read the content of these summaries. This "growth" is attributed to people going back to work. Did you notice that Blacks and other minorities experienced greater re-employment that Whites? It isn't like illegit Joe is creating jobs either, although clearly that's the direction some of your thoughts are processing. No, all illegit Joe has done so far is destroy jobs. People returning to work does not constitute actual new jobs or job growth. Is that clear? And every job does not equate to a living wage, whatever the definition of the latter is. Clearly it's subject to the region you live in which is why you can't inflate and then make mandatory a minimum wage.

  • 468
    burrkitty
    04/09/2021

    Slave wage jobs with no benefits, or living wage jobs that support families and the middle class? Quality over quantity.

  • 81
    Todd
    04/10/2021

    President Biden and the Democratic Party have us on the right track. The only thing that could get in the way is Trump and his "republican" cult of personality. Has anyone seen the news that 55 corporations did not pay any taxes in 2020 in the midst of a pandemic? In fact some even got refunds. Wow. Tax breaks for the wealthy a good idea? Really? WAKE UP

  • 1,741
    Joan
    04/09/2021

    Again, I am cautiously optimistic. As far as I’m concerned, Biden is doing a bang up job! He is priming the pump of the American economy and Wall Street and the job performance show that we’re getting back on track. I hope that the Democrats in Congress don’t wait around on passing legislation for the trumplicans to collaborate, bitch mcconnell forbids it. 2022 is right around the corner and if you don’t pass it all now and possibly lose “control” of Congress, then Biden’s recovery will be blocked by trumplicans to the detriment of the American people.

  • 1,741
    Joan
    04/09/2021

    Once again, @Leslie, thank you for your exhaustive research on the jobs market. Your comments are always so informative.

  • 13.3k
    MrGeer
    04/09/2021

    Wealth inequality has continued to intensify under the pandemic. corporations made trillions from our misery- and still refuse to pay living wages.currently, the ''jobs'' offered are slave wage, with no benefits or workplace protections, while C.E.O.s make 600 times what the average worker makes.Automation also continues to make more jobs obsolete- as they should- we don't need toil 'jobs''. we need healthcare, and housing for ALL!!! start putting humans above property.

  • 8,978
    Charles
    04/09/2021

    Glad it is improving, The Biden stimulus packaged helped! The upcoming infrastructure bill will be very helpful! Getting more people vaccinated will open up more businesses, returning people to work will improve the economy greatly.

  • 1,741
    Joan
    04/09/2021

    @Lane, your ridiculous statement betrays your willful ignorance regarding scientific basis for asking everyone in this country to WEAR THE DAMN MASK! Get the damn shot(s)! Do us all a favor and crack a high school science book and learn about virus transmission, asymptomatic vectors, and ways to avoid bad viruses.

  • 7,797
    DaveS
    04/09/2021

    I would feel better if it was an accurate count which include everyone, but it only represent people collecting unemployment benefits, not the ones that ran out and are now homeless.

  • 171
    Jack
    04/09/2021

    It is doing better with more people being vaccinated.

  • 1,827
    George
    04/09/2021

    I trust Biden than Trump on the economy and also senator Bernie Sanders

  • 122
    Robert
    04/09/2021

    Wages & Benefits lagg in American Employment