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U.S. Temp Numbers Up 28,800

April 01, 2011

The number of U.S. temporary help jobs rose by 28,800 in March for a total of approximately 2.26 million, according to seasonally adjusted numbers reported today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The temporary help penetration rate rose to 1.73 percent in March from 1.71 percent in February.

In addition, revised data in today's BLS report show the number of temp jobs rose by 22,700 in February from January instead of the 15,500 initially reported.

The employment service category gained 35,900 jobs in March for a total of approximately 2.94 million. The employment services category includes temporary help services as well as employment placement agencies, executive search services and professional employer organizations.

Overall, total nonfarm employment rose by 216,000 jobs in March for a total of 130.7 million.

The jobless rate edged down to 8.8 percent in March from 8.9 percent in February. The college-level unemployment rate, which can serve as a proxy for professional employment, inched up to 4.4 percent in March from 4.3 percent in February.

The private sector added 230,000 jobs in March, but the government sector lost 14,000.

Manufacturing gained 17,000 jobs in March. Construction lost 1,000.

Healthcare gained 36,000 jobs in March. Professional and business services added 34,700 jobs, 20,200 of which were in accounting and bookkeeping services. Another big gainer was food services and drinking places, which added 26,500 jobs.