Transmission of material in this statement is embargoed until 

8:30 a.m. (ET) April 2, 2021.

Statement of 

William W. Beach 

Commissioner 

Bureau of Labor Statistics 

Friday, April 2, 2021

Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 916,000 in March, and 

the unemployment rate edged down to 6.0 percent. These 

improvements in the labor market reflect the continued 

resumption of economic activity that had been curtailed due to 

the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Job growth was widespread, 

led by gains in leisure and hospitality, public and private 

education, and construction.

Substantial job losses related to the pandemic first 

occurred in March (-1.7 million) and April (-20.7 million) of 

2020. As economic activity resumed, employment increased by 12.6 

million from May through November but declined again in December 

(-306,000) following a surge in the number of coronavirus cases. 

Job growth restarted in January of this year, and nonfarm 

payroll employment has increased by 1.6 million over the past 3

months. However, payroll employment is down by 8.4 million, or 
2

5.5 percent, from the pre-pandemic employment peak in February 

2020.

Employment in leisure and hospitality rose by 280,000 in 

March and by 384,000 in the prior month, as pandemic-related 

restrictions continued to ease in many parts of the country. 

Within the industry, job growth in food services and drinking 

places (+176,000) accounted for almost two-thirds of the March

increase. Employment also rose in arts, entertainment, and 

recreation (+64,000) and accommodation (+40,000). Employment in 

leisure and hospitality is down by 3.1 million, or 18.5 percent, 

since February 2020.

In March, employment increased in both public and private 

education, reflecting the continued resumption of in-person 

learning and other school-related activities in many parts of 

the country. Local government education added 76,000 jobs, state 

government education added 50,000 jobs, and private education 

added 64,000 jobs. Since February 2020, employment is down in 

local government education (-594,000), state government 

education (-270,000), and private education (-310,000). 

Construction employment increased by 110,000 in March, 

following a loss in the previous month (-56,000) that was likely 

weather-related. In March, job gains occurred in specialty trade 

contractors (+65,000), heavy and civil engineering construction 
3

(+27,000), and construction of buildings (+18,000). Employment 

in construction is down by 182,000 since February 2020.

Professional and business services added 66,000 jobs in 

March. Employment in administrative and support services 

continued to trend up (+37,000), though employment in its 

temporary help services component, which had risen in recent 

months, was essentially unchanged in March. Over the month, 

employment also continued to trend up in management and 

technical consulting services (+8,000) and computer systems 

design and related services (+6,000). Since February 2020, 

employment in professional and business services is down by 

685,000. 

Employment in manufacturing rose by 53,000 over the month, 

with job gains in both the durable goods (+30,000) and 

nondurable goods (+23,000) components. Manufacturing employment 

is down by 515,000 since February 2020.

Transportation and warehousing added 48,000 jobs in March, 

with employment increases in couriers and messengers (+17,000), 

transit and ground passenger transportation (+13,000), support 

activities for transportation (+6,000), and air transportation 

(+6,000). Since February 2020, employment in couriers and 

messengers is up by 206,000, while employment is down by 112,000 

in transit and ground passenger transportation and by 104,000 in 
4

air transportation. Overall, employment in transportation and 

warehousing is 66,000 lower than in February 2020. 

Employment in the other services industry increased by 

42,000 in March but is down by 396,000 since February 2020. Over 

the month, job gains occurred in personal and laundry services 

(+19,000) and in repair and maintenance (+18,000). 

Social assistance added 25,000 jobs in March, with most of 

the gain in individual and family services (+20,000). Employment 

in social assistance is 306,000 lower than the peak in February 

2020. 

Employment in wholesale trade rose by 24,000 in March, with 

gains in both the durable and nondurable goods components 

(+14,000 and +10,000, respectively). Wholesale trade employment 

is 234,000 below the February 2020 level.

Retail trade employment increased by 23,000 in March. Job 

gains in clothing and accessories stores (+16,000), motor 

vehicle and parts dealers (+13,000), and furniture and home 

furnishings stores (+6,000) were partially offset by job losses 

in building material and garden supply stores (-9,000) and 

general merchandise stores (-7,000). Although retail employment 

has trended up since April, it is 381,000 lower than in February 

2020. 
5

In March, mining employment rose by 21,000, mostly in 

support activities for mining (+19,000). Mining employment is 

down by 130,000 since a peak in January 2019.

Financial activities added 16,000 jobs in March, with gains 

in insurance carriers and related activities (+11,000) and real 

estate (+10,000) more than offsetting a loss in credit 

intermediation (-7,000). Employment in financial activities is 

87,000 below its level in February 2020. 

Employment changed little in health care in March but is 

down by 557,000 since February 2020. 

In March, employment was essentially unchanged in 

information. Employment in the industry is 241,000 lower than in 

February 2020.

Average weekly hours for all private-sector workers 

increased by 0.3 hour in March to 34.9 hours, following a 

decline of 0.4 hour in the previous month. In March, the average 

workweek for manufacturing increased by 0.2 hour to 40.5 hours.

Average hourly earnings of all employees on private nonfarm 

payrolls decreased by 4 cents to $29.96 in March. One should 

continue to use caution when interpreting changes in average 

hourly earnings during the pandemic, as large shifts in the 

industry composition of employment can complicate monthly 

comparisons. 
6

Turning to the labor market indicators from the household 

survey, the unemployment rate edged down to 6.0 percent in 

March. The rate is down considerably from its recent high in 

April 2020 but is 2.5 percentage points higher than its prepandemic level in February 2020. The number of unemployed 

people, at 9.7 million, continued to trend down in March but is 

4.0 million higher than in February 2020. 

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for 

Asians increased to 6.0 percent in March, following a decrease 

in the previous month. The jobless rate for Hispanics edged down 

to 7.9 percent over the month, while the rates changed little 

for adult men (5.8 percent), adult women (5.7 percent), 

teenagers (13.0 percent), Whites (5.4 percent), and Blacks (9.6 

percent). 

Among the unemployed, the number of people on temporary 

layoff declined by 203,000 in March to 2.0 million. This measure 

is down considerably from the recent high of 18.0 million in 

April 2020 but is 1.3 million higher than in February 2020. The 

number of permanent job losers, at 3.4 million, was little 

changed in March but is 2.1 million higher than February 2020. 

By duration of unemployment, the number of people searching 

for work for less than 5 weeks was essentially unchanged in 

March at 2.2 million. The number of people unemployed for 5 to 

14 weeks declined by 313,000 to 1.9 million. The number of 
7

people unemployed for 27 weeks or more (often referred to as the 

long-term unemployed), at 4.2 million, was little changed over 

the month but is up by 3.1 million since February 2020. In 

March, the long-term unemployed accounted for 43.4 percent of 

the unemployed. 

The labor force participation rate changed little at 61.5 

percent in March. This measure is 1.8 percentage points lower 

than in February 2020. The employment-population ratio, at 57.8 

percent, was up by 0.2 percentage point over the month but is 

3.3 percentage points lower than in February 2020. 

In March, 5.8 million people were working part time for 

economic reasons, little changed from the previous month. The 

number of people affected by this type of underemployment is 

down from a peak of 10.9 million in April 2020 but is 1.4 

million higher than in February 2020.

At 6.9 million, the number of people not in the labor force 

who currently want a job was about unchanged in March. Among 

those who were not in the labor force but wanted a job, the 

number of people marginally attached to the labor force was 

essentially unchanged at 1.9 million. (People who are marginally 

attached to the labor force had not actively looked for work in 

the 4 weeks prior to the survey but had looked for a job within 

the last 12 months.) The number of discouraged workers, a subset 

of the marginally attached who believed that no jobs were 
8

available for them, was essentially unchanged over the month at 

523,000. 

As in previous months, some workers affected by the 

pandemic who should have been classified as unemployed on 

temporary layoff in March were instead misclassified as employed 

but not at work. Since March 2020, BLS has published an estimate 

of what the unemployment rate would have been had misclassified 

workers been included among the unemployed. Repeating this same 

approach, the seasonally adjusted March unemployment rate would 

have been 0.4 percentage point higher than reported. Additional 

information about the misclassification, as well as information 

about response rates for both the household and establishment 

surveys, is available on the BLS website at 

www.bls.gov/covid19/employment-situation-covid19-faq-march2021.htm.

Looking at supplemental pandemic-related measures from the 

household survey (these supplemental data are not seasonally 

adjusted), the share of employed people who teleworked in 

March because of the coronavirus pandemic declined to 21.0 

percent. These data refer only to employed people who teleworked 

or worked at home for pay at some point in the last 4 weeks 

specifically because of the pandemic; they do not include all 

instances of telework. 
9

In March, the number of people who reported that they had 

been unable to work because their employer closed or lost 

business due to the pandemic--that is, they did not work at all 

or worked fewer hours at some point in the last 4 weeks due to 

the pandemic--decreased to 11.4 million. Among those who 

reported in March that they were unable to work because of 

pandemic-related closures or lost business, 10.2 percent 

received at least some pay from their employer for the hours not 

worked, little changed from the prior month.

Among those not in the labor force in March, 3.7 million 

people were prevented from looking for work due to the pandemic, 

down from 4.2 million in the prior month. (To be counted as 

unemployed, by definition, individuals must either be actively 

searching for work or on temporary layoff.) 

In summary, total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 

916,000 in March, and the unemployment rate edged down to 6.0

percent.