The U.S. unemployment rate slipped to 4.3 percent in March, the Labor Department announced in Washington on Friday, down from 4.4 percent in February. The number of people unemployed fell from 7.6 million to 7.2 million over the same period.
According to the agency, employers added roughly 178 000 jobs outside agriculture in March. New positions were created mainly in healthcare, construction, transport and logistics. Long‑term unemployment eased to 1.8 million from 1.9 million in February.
World investors watch U.S. labor data closely. A robust job market combined with high inflation tends to make rate cuts less likely, which could make savings accounts less attractive relative to stocks. At the same time, companies and other borrowers would benefit from cheaper access to credit.
