US Employment Situation
March 2026
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Last update:Total nonfarm payroll employment varied by March 2026 in +178,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
| January 2026 | February 2026 | March 2026 | |
| total | 158,592,000 | 158,459,000 | 158,637,000 |
| total monthly variation | +143,000 | -133,000 | +178,000 |
| annual variation | +324,000 | +149,000 | +260,000 |
| annual percentage variation | +0.20% | +0.09% | +0.16% |
The unemployment rate in US was 4.30% in March 2026, a -0.1 percentage points variation compared with the previous month, and +0.1 percentage points compared the previous year:
nonfarm employment total monthly variation
The following chart and table show annual percentage variation data by industry sectors:
retail tradeleisure and hospitalityresidential building constructiontruck transportation
annual percentage variation by sectorShaded area = recession
| January 2026 | February 2026 | March 2026 | |
| accommodation | -0.69% | -0.52% | -0.44% |
| construction | +0.64% | +0.45% | +0.69% |
| durable goods | -0.70% | -0.70% | -0.45% |
| financial activities | -0.44% | -0.54% | -0.73% |
| government | -0.97% | -0.99% | -1.03% |
| information | -2.16% | -2.85% | -2.65% |
| leisure and hospitality | +0.80% | +0.95% | +1.05% |
| manufacturing | -0.72% | -0.75% | -0.59% |
| mining and logging | -3.22% | -3.38% | -2.74% |
| nondurable goods | -0.75% | -0.83% | -0.83% |
| private education and health services | +2.74% | +2.36% | +2.44% |
| residential building construction | -1.14% | -0.60% | -0.42% |
| retail trade | -0.21% | -0.15% | -0.19% |
| service providing | +0.28% | +0.17% | +0.22% |
| total nonfarm | +0.20% | +0.09% | +0.16% |
| total private | +0.41% | +0.28% | +0.37% |
| trade transportation and utilities | -0.49% | -0.70% | -0.53% |
| transportation and warehousing | -1.30% | -2.39% | -1.82% |
| truck transportation | -1.84% | -1.53% | -1.83% |