U.S. Misses Unemployment Target, Adding 120,000 Jobs in March

Reuters
Adam Martin 134 Views Apr 6, 2012

The Unemployment fell ever so slightly to 8.2 percent for March, but the economy added a disappointing 120,000 jobs, far fewer than the 209,000 estimated by ADP and the 200,000 or more economists had been predicting. It's the lowest jobs gain since last October, Reuters reports, but it still pushed down the unemployment rate from February's 8.3 percent, the lowest level in three years. The weak gain came after February saw 227,000 jobs created, and economists attributed it to a "fading boost from unseasonably warm winter weather." The drop in the unemployment rate comes from a drop in the labor force, Reuters reported. If only everybody hadn't predicted it would be so high, the numbers wouldn't seem so discouraging.

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