r/politics • u/someopinionthatsr New York • 1d ago
U.S. added 228,000 jobs in March, beating forecasts, as economists warn of turbulence
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/march-2025-jobs-report-whos-hiring-firing-trump-layoffs-economy-rcna19864522
u/TintedApostle 1d ago
And I have doubts on any numbers coming from Trump
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u/cyclingkingsley 1d ago edited 1d ago
But right now, that's all we can look at so we might as well try to understand where the market is improving here to understand the why:
I try to break it down a here because I'm confused about this this contradicting information here from the report (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm):
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Job gains occurred in health care, in social assistance, and in transportation and warehousing. Employment also increased in retail trade, partially reflecting the return of workers from a strike. Federal government employment declined.
So we have a surplus of labour force from strikes and they returned...but US still has enough job openings to accommodate these surplus via 4 sectors. Despite all the massing firing of federal workers, the state government was able to accommodate these job losses.
The labor force participation rate, at 62.5 percent, changed little over the month and over the year. The employment-population ratio held at 59.9 percent in March. (See table A-1.)
US job market remains stable and with recent layoffs, there are available openings to absorb federal layoffs from other levels of government. So same information from above. labour force grew in size with resilient job market, making unemployment still at a comfortable 4% range.
So all in all, actually good numbers in March showing US economy resilience despite all the crazy tariff and threats of recession. What jumps out at me is that you have a lots of job increase in retail trade for autoparts and merchant wholesale, food and beverage, building materials etc. All these fields within direct impact of the international tariffs...so would these numbers dramatically change in April then?
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u/Rannasha The Netherlands 1d ago
What jumps out at me is that you have a lots of job increase in retail trade for autoparts and merchant wholesale, food and beverage, building materials etc.
These could be short term positions that were created to stock up in anticipation of tariffs. US imports (and consequently the trade deficit) spiked in the past months as businesses have worked to stock up on products and resources before the threatened tariffs would up the cost. It's likely that some amount of job openings were tied to this increased activity.
If so, it should reverse rather significantly now that the tariffs are in.
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u/cyclingkingsley 1d ago
Does "short-term position" fall under full-time position? As in these are full-time position but with a contractual timeline?
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u/TintedApostle 1d ago
March showing US economy resilience despite all the crazy tariff and threats of recession.
It does not represent the actual tariffs and actual recession coming. These numbers are late detective indicators and not predictive.
Next month is going to be a bad one.
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u/cyclingkingsley 1d ago
But i'm surprised that despite all the federal layoffs, the market is still holding up but i guess that just means there are always opportunities in US for new hiring, but we don't know how much purchasing power they had compare to their new job.
I am interested in the massive increase in sectors that are tariff-related...what is the cause behind it and will the numbers suddenly flip on its head in the coming months?
Manufacturing continues its miniscule growth under Trump so i guess he can be happy about that too haha.
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u/TintedApostle 1d ago
The sectors with tariffs are not impacted in these numbers. These numbers are suspect to serious change in the next few months. We are heading into a self-inflicted recession. There is no doubt now.
Manufacturing continues its miniscule growth under Trump so I guess he can be happy about that too haha.
It had nothing to do with Trump and he is going to kill it.
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u/Bruce-7891 1d ago
" health care, in social assistance, and in transportation and warehousing"
Those aren't the types of jobs Federal employees would go into. If you worked for Homeland Security or the Department of energy you aren't looking for a job at a random warehouse or going to get your commercial license to become a truck driver. Healthcare and social assistance may be applicable in some places, but those are niche areas and don't make up most of the federal work force. Jobs aren't exactly 1 for 1 across sectors and industries.
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u/ImaginationToForm2 1d ago
He blamed Biden for stock numbers so does not Biden get job number credit? nope.
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u/CassadagaValley 1d ago
The U.S. added 228,000 jobs in March, far more than the 140,000 economists had expected. Unemployment ticked up slightly to 4.2% from 4.1% the month before.
I mean, it just kinda seems like that was the last month of the Biden economy, right? Tariffs are now in full swing, in April, prices are going up, US exports are going down, unemployment is going up, etc.
April seems like it's poised to be the first month of the Trump economy.
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u/Bruce-7891 1d ago
Right. Republicans will point to this but then also say, "It's only been a couple months, it takes time for prices to come down and for things to improve".
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u/CassadagaValley 1d ago
Somehow eggs prices quadrupling in March was Biden's fault but 228k jobs in March were because of Trump's big brain moves.
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u/Billy1121 1d ago
Trading federal jobs for bottom tier retail jobs isn't a great exchange, i gotta say.
Next month's report is going to be a bloodbath
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u/HandSack135 Maryland 1d ago
The March report shows a resilient U.S. economy
Man damt that Joe Biden for building an economy that was envy of the world
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u/ImaginationToForm2 1d ago
I can't wait for Operation Dumbo Drop (Liberation Day) and Night of a 1000 Knifes (shutting down departments) numbers show up.
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u/Affectionate_Mix5081 Norway 1d ago
Have the writter for this article looked out the windows lately?
228.000 new jobs will do shit for your economy, idiots.
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