document: U.S. economy adds 216,000 jobs Marking a continuing improvement in job market conditions in the United States , the economy added 216,000 jobs in March , according to the monthly report of the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics . The news would cheer the Obama administration , for which job creation is likely to be the top priority for the remainder of this year . Reacting to the report Austan Goolsby , Chairman of President Barack Obama 's Council of Economic Advisors , said , '' `` Today 's employment report shows that private sector payrolls increased by 230,000 in March , marking 13 consecutive months of private employment growth . Private sector employers added 1.8 million jobs over that period , including more than half a million jobs in the last three months . '' '' While expressing optimism that the unemployment rate had fallen for the fourth straight month to 8.8 per cent , he cautioned that , '' `` as long as millions of people are looking for jobs , there is still considerable work to do to replace the jobs lost in the downturn . '' '' Mr. Goolsby also lauded specific stimulus policies of the administration for boosting jobs , arguing , '' `` We are seeing signs that the initiatives put in place by this Administration - such as the payroll tax cut and business incentives for investment - are creating the conditions for sustained growth and job creation . '' '' According to economists , while a sustained improvement in the job market would benefit Mr. Obama 's prospects of re-election in 2012 , most estimates , even those of the White House , do not place the unemployment rate at anything below eight per cent until 2013 . Mr. Goolsby also warned that while the overall trajectory of the economy had '' `` improved dramatically over the past two years , '' '' there would '' `` surely be bumps in the road ahead . '' ''
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abstractive_keyphrases: mr obama's obama's advisors said cent until 2013 payrolls bureau eight austan goolsby chairman straight continuing improvement 216000 jobs