Unemployment Ticked Down in March
Plus, 178,000 new jobs were added to the market.
Apr 06, 2026 | 2 min read
The month of March saw 178,000 new jobs added, “notching a robust gain for a vulnerable labor market that faces challenges ahead as energy prices soar due to the conflict in Iran,” reported The Washington Post.
Meanwhile, the unemployment rate ticked down to 4.3%, according to data released last week by the Labor Department.
“The March jobs report, which blew past expectations, was boosted by the return of workers from West Coast health-care strikes and stormy winter weather. It also showed signs that employers had begun to regain confidence in stable business conditions,” the Post wrote.
Research showed that health care continued to drive job creation in the United States, adding 76,000 positions, “reflecting the demands of an aging population.” The manufacturing sector added 15,000 positions in March. Employment also grew in construction, leisure and hospitality, social assistance, transportation and warehousing.
The Post reported that average hourly wage growth slowed considerably in March, rising 3.5% over the past year to $37.38 an hour. “Wage growth continues to beat inflation, in a boost to Americans’ standard of living. But with a sluggish labor market and stubbornly high prices, that gap has begun to narrow,” the outlet wrote.
In February, job losses were revised down, showing the labor market shed 133,000 positions that month, which was worse than initially reported. However, January job creation was revised up to 160,000, stronger than initially reported. Average monthly job creation over the past year is around 20,000 jobs, the lowest level in years.
At the NACS State of the Industry Summit, April 14-16 in Schaumburg, Illinois, Randy Quinn, SVP, merchandising—vault and proprietary beverages, 7-Eleven Inc., will lead the “Financial and Operatioal Lessons from 2025” session, looking at how the c-store industry performed in 2025.
