Trump hails strong March jobs report after February losses, says nothing can slow economy down

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump on Friday, April 3, pointed to a stronger-than-expected March jobs report as a sign that the US economy is gaining momentum again, just weeks after a sharp dip in February.

Sharing his reaction on Good Friday, Trump credited his economic policies for what he described as an "enormously powerful engine of economic growth."

Trump credits his economic policies for job growth

Trump did not hold back while reacting to the new figures, framing the report as proof that his approach is working.

“A very happy and blessed Good Friday to all, especially to the 186,000 Americans who gained Private Sector jobs in the month of March alone!” he wrote in a Truth Social post. "My Economic Policies have created an enormously powerful engine of Economic Growth, and nothing can slow it down.”

He also pointed to gains in manufacturing and construction, linking them directly to trade policies and investment trends.

“Factory Construction Jobs are soaring as a result of the rapid Onshoring and surging Investment that TARIFFS have generated, all while the Trade Deficit has shrunk by 52% in a year!” Trump added.

March job numbers beat expectations after February losses

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the US added 178,000 jobs in March. This figure includes a loss of 8,000 government jobs but still comes in at roughly three times higher than what most economists had predicted.

The report follows a tough February, when the country lost 133,000 jobs.

Revised data showed that the February losses were deeper than initially reported, while January’s gains were adjusted upward.

January’s job numbers were revised from 126,000 to 160,000, while February’s losses were pushed further down from 92,000 to 133,000.

Altogether, employment across those two months ended up 7,000 jobs lower than earlier estimates suggested.

Despite that, March showed a clear rebound. The unemployment rate dipped slightly from 4.4% in February to 4.3% in March.

However, the share of adults participating in the labor force dropped to 61.9%, marking its lowest level since November 2021.

Health care sector leads gains while economists urge caution

A major share of March’s job growth came from the health care sector, which added 76,400 jobs.

The jump followed the end of a Kaiser Permanente strike in February, with workers returning to their roles.

Even with the strong headline numbers, some economists warned that the data may not fully capture current economic pressures.

“The data is mostly backward-looking, and likely does not incorporate any impact from the recent rise in energy prices, or other risks related to the war in Iran,” said Thomas Simons, chief economist at Jefferies.

Others pointed to shifts happening in the labor market.

“This year will most likely be a year of shifting labor dynamics as artificial intelligence upends the job market, especially for low-skilled roles. We continue to see healthy job opportunities for workers with experience,” said Jeffrey Roach, chief economist for LPL Financial.

Roach also noted that wages have continued to rise, with average hourly earnings up 3.5% compared to a year ago. He said this gives consumers enough buying power to manage ongoing inflation concerns.