Trump Administration Defies Expectations With Impressive March Jobs Report

While much of the media spotlight has been aimed at the recent stock market dip following President Donald Trump's global tariff announcement, little attention has been paid to the standout performance of the job market under his administration.

On Friday, the Labor Department released data showing a surge of 228,000 new jobs added in March — significantly exceeding forecasts, Just The News reported.

Analysts had estimated an increase of around 140,000 non-farm jobs for the month and projected the unemployment rate would remain at 4.1% after February’s gain of 151,000 positions.

Although the unemployment rate nudged up slightly to 4.2%, the overall job creation far outperformed what experts had anticipated.

“Today’s jobs report shows the private sector is roaring back under President Donald J. Trump — smashing expectations for the second straight month as the Golden Age of America is well on its way,” read a statement from the White House.

The release also emphasized that "In March, the U.S. added 228,000 jobs — nearly 100,000 more jobs than economists predicted and the fourth-highest month for private payroll growth in the past two years. In fact, last month’s jobs increase is roughly twice the pace of the previous two months."

According to the administration, the data underscores “a resilient labor market as companies aggressively onshore jobs amid President Trump’s bold trade and economic agenda.”

President Trump celebrated the numbers in characteristic fashion on TruthSocial, posting, “GREAT JOB NUMBERS, FAR BETTER THAN EXPECTED. IT’S ALREADY WORKING. HANG TOUGH, WE CAN’T LOSE!!!”

February’s jobs report was similarly favorable, pointing to a revival in U.S. manufacturing and a noticeable advantage for native-born workers.

At the time, the White House stated, “Today’s jobs report shows American manufacturing is on the rebound thanks to President Donald J. Trump and his administration.”

“The country gained 10,000 manufacturing jobs in President Trump’s first full month in office — a swift turnaround after losing an average of 9,000 manufacturing jobs per month, or 111,000 total, in the final year of the Biden Administration,” the release noted.

“The rebound in manufacturing jobs was led by the automobile sector, which gained 8,900 new jobs in February — after losing 27,300 auto jobs in Biden’s final year — showing that firms are reshoring production and positively responding to President Trump’s trade policies,” the administration added.

Supporting this claim, the February report highlighted a notable spike in S&P Global’s U.S. manufacturing survey, which reached its highest reading since June 2022. Meanwhile, the Manufacturing ISM Report also showed a return to growth, following more than two years of contraction.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the March report as a major win for the Trump presidency.

“In one month under President Trump, the American economy is soaring back to greatness after the economic calamity left by Joe Biden. The manufacturing industry is already rebounding as there were 9,000 new auto jobs created — the most auto jobs added in 15 months! Under President Trump, the private sector is leading the way — 93% of the job gains in February were in the private sector. This is great news for American workers and families. The Trump Administration will continue to work hard to implement pro-growth policies and push Congress to enact the Trump Economic Agenda,” she said.

The Labor Department’s figures also revealed that 8,900 jobs were added in automobile manufacturing in February, rebounding after a year that saw a 27,000-job loss under former President Biden.

An overwhelming 93% of new employment came from the private sector, as Trump’s deregulatory efforts — initiated through various executive actions — have started taking root across industries.

The report was especially encouraging for native-born Americans. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 284,000 native-born workers secured jobs last month, while 87,000 foreign-born individuals saw job losses.

Additionally, the native-born workforce grew by 367,000, while the foreign-born labor force shrank by 66,000.