Did You See That March Jobs Report?

Matt Vespa | April 03, 2026 1:30 PM

March was a very good month for the economy, with 178,000 jobs added, surpassing expectations. The market has entered a period of volatility, which is understandable given Operation Epic Fury. Democrats have been trying to cause panic about gas prices, although the national average, while higher since the air campaign, remains lower than the obscene prices seen under Joe Biden (via Politico):

Excellent and welcome news. https://t.co/Q0LiR466ti
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) April 3, 2026

U.S. job growth surged past expectations in March and the unemployment rate dropped, giving President Donald Trump some breathing room as the economy comes under increasing pressure over the war in Iran and rising oil prices.
Companies added a net 178,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department reported Friday, a huge swing from February, when the economy actually shed jobs. But it was roughly in line with January — a sharp fluctuation that is making it hard to gauge the job market’s health. But the overall positive trend suggests that the economy remained resilient during the first quarter of the year.
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The numbers for January were revised up to 160,000 jobs added, compared to the 126,000 previously reported, while February was revised down to 133,000 jobs lost, compared to the initially reported 92,000 loss.
None of those figures are likely to change the narrative that has prevailed over the past couple of years of a low-hire, low-fire labor market. But the unemployment rate now stands at 4.3 percent, and the manufacturing sector — which has been anemic for a long time — added 15,000 jobs in March, the highest number since November 2023.