Breaking: Nonfarm Payrolls increase by 178K in March
Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) in the United States (US) increased by 178K in March, according to data released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Friday. The figure marks a marked reversal from February’s 133K drop (revised from -92K) and came in well above market expectations for a 60K gain.
Elsewhere in the report, the Unemployment Rate ticked lower to 4.3% (from 4.4%), while the Labor Force Participation Rate edged marginally lower to 61.9% from 62%. At the same time, wage pressures showed a slight downtick, with annual growth in Average Hourly Earnings easing to 3.5% (from 3.8%).
" The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for January was revised up by 34,000, from +126,000 to +160,000, and the change for February was revised down by 41,000, from -92,000 to -133,000. With these revisions, employment in January and February combined is 7,000 lower than previously reported”, the BLS noted in its press release.
Market reaction to Nonfarm Payrolls data
The US Dollar (USD) keeps its vacillating tone unchanged in the wake of the release, with the US Dollar Index (DXY) trading with modest gains past the psychological 100.00 threshold.
US Dollar Price Today
The table below shows the percentage change of US Dollar (USD) against listed major currencies today. US Dollar was the strongest against the New Zealand Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 0.09% | 0.07% | 0.02% | 0.15% | 0.02% | 0.24% | 0.10% | |
| EUR | -0.09% | 0.02% | -0.07% | 0.06% | 0.04% | 0.14% | 0.00% | |
| GBP | -0.07% | -0.02% | -0.08% | 0.05% | 0.04% | 0.13% | -0.00% | |
| JPY | -0.02% | 0.07% | 0.08% | 0.13% | 0.11% | 0.20% | 0.06% | |
| CAD | -0.15% | -0.06% | -0.05% | -0.13% | -0.01% | 0.09% | -0.04% | |
| AUD | -0.02% | -0.04% | -0.04% | -0.11% | 0.00% | 0.08% | -0.05% | |
| NZD | -0.24% | -0.14% | -0.13% | -0.20% | -0.09% | -0.08% | -0.14% | |
| CHF | -0.10% | -0.01% | 0.00% | -0.06% | 0.04% | 0.05% | 0.14% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the US Dollar from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the Japanese Yen, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent USD (base)/JPY (quote).
This section below was published as a preview of the March Nonfarm Payrolls data at 04:00 GMT.
- Nonfarm Payrolls are expected to rise by 60K in March.
- The Unemployment Rate is seen holding steady at 4.4%.
- Markets could have a delayed reaction to employment data due to the Good Friday holiday.
The United States (US) Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will release the Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data for March on Friday at 12:30 GMT.
Investors will scrutinize the underlying details of the employment report to assess whether the Federal Reserve (Fed) is likely to consider an interest-rate hike later in the year. Still, the immediate market reaction could remain subdued, with trading volumes staying thin on the Good Friday holiday.
What to expect from the next Nonfarm Payrolls report?
Investors expect NFP to rise by 60K following the disappointing 92K decrease recorded in February. The Unemployment Rate is expected to remain unchanged at 4.4%, while the annual wage inflation, as measured by the change in the Average Hourly Earnings, is projected to decrease to 3.7% from 3.8% in the previous month.
Previewing the employment report, TD Securities analysts note that they expect a moderate 30K increase in NFP in March.
“The reversal of weather and strike effects should result in a payrolls composition similar to the end of 2025, with outsized healthcare support. We also look for the Unemployment Rate to remain at 4.4%, with a risk of moving higher. Average Hourly Earnings likely increased a subdued 0.2% m/m, translating to 3.6% y/y,” they add.
Automatic Data Processing (ADP) reported earlier in the week that employment in the private sector rose by 62K in March. This print followed the 66K (revised from 63K) increase reported in February. Assessing the report’s findings, “overall hiring is steady, but job growth continues to favor certain industries, including health care,” said Dr. Nela Richardson, chief economist at ADP. Meanwhile, the Employment Index of the Institute for Supply Management’s (ISM) Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) survey came in at 48.7 in March, pointing to an ongoing contraction in the manufacturing sector payrolls.
Danske Bank Research Team also projects the NFP to come in at 30K and see the Unemployment Rate rising to 4.5%. “Recent indicators, including declines in daily job postings and weekly private sector employment growth, point to a softer labour market,” they note.
Employment FAQs
Labor market conditions are a key element to assess the health of an economy and thus a key driver for currency valuation. High employment, or low unemployment, has positive implications for consumer spending and thus economic growth, boosting the value of the local currency. Moreover, a very tight labor market – a situation in which there is a shortage of workers to fill open positions – can also have implications on inflation levels and thus monetary policy as low labor supply and high demand leads to higher wages.
The pace at which salaries are growing in an economy is key for policymakers. High wage growth means that households have more money to spend, usually leading to price increases in consumer goods. In contrast to more volatile sources of inflation such as energy prices, wage growth is seen as a key component of underlying and persisting inflation as salary increases are unlikely to be undone. Central banks around the world pay close attention to wage growth data when deciding on monetary policy.
The weight that each central bank assigns to labor market conditions depends on its objectives. Some central banks explicitly have mandates related to the labor market beyond controlling inflation levels. The US Federal Reserve (Fed), for example, has the dual mandate of promoting maximum employment and stable prices. Meanwhile, the European Central Bank’s (ECB) sole mandate is to keep inflation under control. Still, and despite whatever mandates they have, labor market conditions are an important factor for policymakers given its significance as a gauge of the health of the economy and their direct relationship to inflation.
How will the US March Nonfarm Payrolls affect EUR/USD?
The USD outperformed its rivals in March as it benefited from the risk-averse market atmosphere and growing expectations for a hawkish tilt in the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) policy outlook, with surging crude Oil prices reviving fears over inflation getting out of control. The US Dollar Index (DXY) gained more than 2% in March and experienced heightened volatility in the first days of April.
While speaking at an event organized by Harvard University earlier this week, Fed Chair Jerome Powell noted that there is tension between the Fed’s two mandates, keeping maximum employment and stable prices, and said that they are in a good place to wait and see how the current situation plays out. Commenting on labor market conditions, Powell said that job creation is very low and that it's challenging to enter the job market.
Meanwhile, NY Fed President John Williams acknowledged that the job market is sending signals, adding that the low hiring rate might be feeding into economic pessimism.
According to the CME FedWatch Tool, markets are currently pricing in about an 80% probability that the Fed policy rate will remain unchanged at the range of 3.5%-3.75% by the end of 2026. In early March, markets were projecting a 92% chance that the Fed would cut the policy rate at least once this year.
A positive surprise in the NFP, with a reading of at least 70K, could cause markets to reassess the possibility of a Fed rate hike and boost the USD. Conversely, a print below 50K, especially if combined with an uptick in the Unemployment Rate, could make it difficult for the USD to outperform its rivals and help EUR/USD hold its ground. Nonetheless, unless a de-escalation of the Middle East conflict leads to a steady decline in Oil prices, a steady uptrend in EUR/USD could be difficult to come by, even if the NFP misses analysts’ estimates.
Eren Sengezer, European Session Lead Analyst at FXStreet, offers a brief technical outlook for EUR/USD:
“EUR/USD’s near-term technical outlook suggests that the bearish bias remains intact despite the latest recovery attempt. The pair remains below a descending trend line drawn from late-January and the Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicator on the daily chart retreats toward 40 after failing to clear the 50 midline earlier in the week.”
“On the downside, 1.1430-1.1400 (lower limit of the Bollinger Band, static level) aligns as a key support before 1.1300 (round level) and 1.1220 (static level). Looking north, immediate resistance could be spotted at 1.1600 (round level, descending trend line) ahead of the 1.1680-1.1700 region, where the 100-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) and the 200-day SMA align.”
(This story was updated on April 3 at 07:10 GMT to reflect a consensus change in the annual Average Hourly Earnings to 3.7%)
Fed FAQs
Monetary policy in the US is shaped by the Federal Reserve (Fed). The Fed has two mandates: to achieve price stability and foster full employment. Its primary tool to achieve these goals is by adjusting interest rates. When prices are rising too quickly and inflation is above the Fed’s 2% target, it raises interest rates, increasing borrowing costs throughout the economy. This results in a stronger US Dollar (USD) as it makes the US a more attractive place for international investors to park their money. When inflation falls below 2% or the Unemployment Rate is too high, the Fed may lower interest rates to encourage borrowing, which weighs on the Greenback.
The Federal Reserve (Fed) holds eight policy meetings a year, where the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) assesses economic conditions and makes monetary policy decisions. The FOMC is attended by twelve Fed officials – the seven members of the Board of Governors, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and four of the remaining eleven regional Reserve Bank presidents, who serve one-year terms on a rotating basis.
In extreme situations, the Federal Reserve may resort to a policy named Quantitative Easing (QE). QE is the process by which the Fed substantially increases the flow of credit in a stuck financial system. It is a non-standard policy measure used during crises or when inflation is extremely low. It was the Fed’s weapon of choice during the Great Financial Crisis in 2008. It involves the Fed printing more Dollars and using them to buy high grade bonds from financial institutions. QE usually weakens the US Dollar.
Quantitative tightening (QT) is the reverse process of QE, whereby the Federal Reserve stops buying bonds from financial institutions and does not reinvest the principal from the bonds it holds maturing, to purchase new bonds. It is usually positive for the value of the US Dollar.