The U.S. economy roared ahead in March, adding 228,000 jobs—well above the 140,000 economists had forecast—according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report released Friday.
The figure dwarfs February’s revised gain of 117,000, signaling a robust rebound in the private sector despite a slight uptick in the unemployment rate to 4.2% from 4.1%.
The White House seized the moment, saying on X: “The March jobs report exceeds expectations with 228,000 jobs added. The Golden Age has begun!”
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The Trump administration credits its deregulation push and focus on cheap energy, alongside Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), for juicing the “real economy.”
Yet the report also showed federal payrolls shedding 4,000 jobs—the second straight month of declines after February’s 11,000-job plunge, the steepest since June 2022—as DOGE’s axe swings through government ranks.
Alfredo Ortiz, CEO of the Job Creators Network, hailed the numbers as proof of Trump’s Main Street magic.
“Job creation smashed expectations last month,” he said in a statement, “strengthened by President Trump’s policies.” Ortiz spotlighted the private-sector tilt—155,000 of the new jobs—calling it a “stark change” from Biden-era growth, which he claimed leaned heavily on government gigs.
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Wages outpaced inflation, he added, lifting living standards after years of strain.
Trump’s economic playbook, rolled out since his January 20 return, hinges on a memo vowing to crush the “cost-of-living crisis” through price relief and worker prosperity.
It’s a promise that was rooted in his campaign, where the economy topped voter worries amid Biden’s battles with soaring inflation and a ballooning deficit. BLS data shows average hourly earnings rose 0.3% in March to $36.00, a 3.8% annual bump—enough to edge out the 3% inflation rate from January’s Consumer Price Index, per prior reports.
But not everyone’s cheering. Federal cuts, driven by DOGE’s mission to slash “wasteful spending,” have sparked backlash. Healthcare led gains with 54,000 jobs, followed by transportation and warehousing (23,000) and social assistance (11,000), yet the public sector’s bleed hints at ripple effects to come.
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Economists see a mixed bag. The unemployment tick-up reflects 232,000 new labor force entrants, a sign of confidence, yet federal layoffs and tariff threats loom as wild cards.
For now, Trump’s team touts a private-sector triumph—but with voter skepticism and government downsizing in play, the “Golden Age” pitch still has skeptics to win over.
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