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Payroll employment increased by 916,000 in March 2021

April 06, 2021

Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 916,000 in March 2021. Job growth in March was widespread, with the largest gains occurring in leisure and hospitality and construction. Average weekly earnings for the private sector were $1,045.60 in March 2021.

Employment and average weekly earnings by industry for all private nonfarm employees, March 2021
Industry Over-the-month-change in employment Average weekly earnings Employment level

Total private

780,000 $1,045.60 122,507,000

Mining and logging

20,000 1,563.62 610,000

Construction

110,000 1,273.54 7,466,000

Manufacturing

53,000 1,180.58 12,284,000

Wholesale trade

23,700 1,291.68 5,661,300

Retail trade

22,500 658.21 15,228,800

Transportation and warehousing

47,500 1,005.26 5,757,000

Utilities

300 1,887.05 539,600

Information

-2,000 1,631.22 2,673,000

Financial activities

16,000 1,495.56 8,788,000

Professional and business services

66,000 1,318.18 20,784,000

Education and health services

101,000 974.61 23,393,000

Leisure and hospitality

280,000 459.42 13,781,000

Other services

42,000 876.85 5,541,000

Employment in leisure and hospitality increased by 280,000 in March 2021, as pandemic-related restrictions eased in many parts of the country; the average weekly earnings in this industry were $459.42. Construction added 110,000 jobs in March, following job losses in the previous month (−56,000) that were likely weather related; the average weekly earnings in this industry were $1,273.54.

These data are from the Current Employment Statistics program. Data for the most recent 2 months are preliminary. To learn more, see "The Employment Situation — March 2021." We also have more charts on nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Payroll employment increased by 916,000 in March 2021 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2021/payroll-employment-increased-by-916000-in-march-2021.htm (visited April 19, 2024).

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