United States President Barack Obama say his country's latest jobs numbers, which saw fewer new positions in March but also less unemployment, show the economy there is improving -- slowly and steadily.
The uncertain U.S. economy created fewer jobs than expected last month, although the national unemployment rate fell to a three-year low.
Analysts were expecting a fourth consecutive month of 200,000-plus jobs gains, but the official tally landed at only 120,000 new positions, the Labor Department reported Friday.
Despite lower-than-expected numbers, the overall U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 8.2 per cent from 8.3 per cent, it said.
It was the lowest unemployment level reported since January 2009, but it reflected fewer people looking for work as opposed to an increase in employment, the report stated. Official employment numbers only reflect people who are seeking employment.
"It's clear to every American that there will still be ups and downs along the way," Obama said Friday during his address at a White House forum on women and the economy.
"We've got a lot more work to do."
To put the latest numbers into perspective, the unemployment rate was 9.1 per cent last August.
While the March numbers weren't what many had hoped for, they were enough to make the months since December the country's best consecutive four-month span in the past two years. The four-month job total sat at 858,000.
Public-sector employment dropped by 1,000 jobs in March while the private sector created 121,000. Factories generated 37,000 new positions, mostly in the auto sector as the demand for new vehicles improved. Hiring in construction fell by 7,000 and in the service sector, gains were in health care, professional and business service categories.
The losses in the construction sector could have something to do with the winter's mild weather, as many firms that would normally hire in the spring are believed to have taken on workers earlier in the year.
Average hourly earnings rose 5 cents and the workweek dipped to 34.5 hours from 34.6 hours in February, the report stated.
Economists pointed out that one weaker report after three solid months of gains is nothing to scoff at, saying growth in factory, hotel and restaurant jobs bode well for the economy overall.
"We are disappointed," Anthony Chan, chief economist at JPMorgan Wealth Management, told the Associated Press. "But when you go inside and lift the hood, the numbers look a little better."
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke hasn't ruled out further monetary stimulus if unemployment remains high. Bernanke and other economists have said they don't believe the economy has recovered enough to sustain rapid job growth.
The Ontario government - hoping to push through its austerity budget with a minority - was quick to pounce on the jobs report south of the border and claim the economic recovery in the province is running ahead of the U.S.
"Today's U.S. jobs report is further evidence that Ontario's economic recovery is dramatically outpacing the recovery in the United States," Minister of Economic Development and Innovation Brad Duguid said in statement released Friday.
Overall, Canada had a strong month with 82,000 new jobs created. Analysts had predicted smaller job growth of around 10,000.
