MW: March nonfarm payrolls up 216,000, rate at 8.8%
By Greg Robb
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Job growth accelerated in March, the Labor Department said Friday. Total non-farm payrolls increased by 216,000, higher than the 192,000 gain expected by Wall Street economists. The unemployment rate ticked lower to 8.8% in March from 8.9% in the previous month. This is the lowest unemployment rate since March 2009. Economists had expected the unemployment rate to rise to 9.0%. Average hourly earnings were flat at $22.87. Economists had been expecting a 0.2% gain. Earnings are up 1.7% in the past year. The average workweek was unchanged at 34.3 hours.
