US adds 215,000 jobs in March, unemployment rate rises to 5 percent

U.S. employers added 215,000 jobs in March, according to a new federal report, which showed retail trade providing the biggest monthly boost to job growth and one of the largest year-over-year increases.

The nation’s unemployment rate ticked up to 5 percent compared with 4.9 percent the previous month, but that was only because more Americans came off the sidelines to look for work — some still didn’t find it. Last month’s reading still landed below the year-ago jobless rate of 5.5 percent, the Labor Department reported Friday.

Wages are rising

Friday’s report also showed that average U.S. wages rose 7 cents in March to $25.43 an hour, a 56 cent increase from a year earlier.

Economist Christopher Thoberg, a founding partner with Beacon Economics, welcomed the increase.

“It’s good and you have to remember that workers are benefitting from ultra low inflation, so the normal gains are being stretched even further,” he said. “I have real eaings increasing by 2.5 to 3 percent over the year. That’s not huge but it’s good. We’re shifting back toward a more equal recovery where the expansion is benefitting all of the workers.”

Inland Empire economist John Husing agreed.

“When you get down to these kinds of unemployment numbers you start to see a mismatch between the available work and the people who are available to do those jobs,” he said. “Employers don’t want to lose experienced workers, or if they don’t have them they will try to attract them with higher wages.”

Retail adds 48,000 jobs

The nation’s retail industry added 48,000 jobs in March with gains occurring in a variety of sub sectors, including general merchandise stores, health and personal care stores, garden supply shops and auto dealers. Retail added 378,000 jobs over the past 12 months.

SoCal’s retail sector seeing losses and gains

Southe Califoia’s retail sector has experienced both losses and gains.

Kohl’s Department Stores plans to close 18 underperforming locations by mid-June, including nine in Califoia — a move that will impact up to 1,800 workers. Locally, the closures include the San Gabriel and West Hills stores in Los Angeles County and an Upland store in the Inland Empire. Three Orange County stores are also on the hit list, including Ladera Ranch, Cypress and Santa Ana.

Advertisement

On the flip-side, German discount grocer ALDI plans to open 45 locations throughout Southe Califoia, which will create 1,100 jobs. The company already unveiled stores in Fontana, Yucaipa and San Beardino, and 18 additional stores will be opening between April and July. That wave will include locations in such cities as Arcadia, Anaheim, Buena Park, Covina, La Vee, Simi Valley, Southgate and Fountain Valley.

Emeryville-based Grocery Outlet Bargain Market will also provide a boost to local jobs. They plan to open 19 stores throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties. Stores in Ontario, Upland and Long Beach have already opened.

Retail jobs traditionally don’t pay a lot, but Thoberg said the hiring bodes well for the overall economy.

“People are willing to go to a store and spend money,” he said. “And for someone who has a high school degree or less these are good jobs, so I don’t know what we’re complaining about.”

Health care sector also posts healthy gains

The nation’s health care industry posted the second biggest increase in March, the Labor Department reported, with 37,000 new jobs. That industry grew by 503,000 over the year.

“We have definitely seen a trend and need to hire more people, from receptionists to managers,” said Socorro Serrano, a spokeswoman for Kaiser Permanente. “We’re a big employer for the region.”

Serrano said Kaiser has hired 1,164 people in L.A. County since January. That includes 717 people who were hired to replace employees who left or were transferred, and 440 who filled new positions.

Kaiser currently employs 68,059 workers throughout Southe Califoia.

Other significant job gains were seen last month in food and drinking places, which added 25,000 workers, and financial activities, which added 15,000.

Manufacturing continues to shed jobs

Manufacturing, which has lost thousands of jobs in recent years to outsourcing, automation and downsizing, shed another 29,000 jobs in March. Over the past 12 months that industry lost 65,000 jobs.

Southe Califoia’s manufacturing sector has also seen steady declines. It was the only Los Angeles County industry to post a year-over-year decline in February with the loss of 8,100 jobs.

Boeing recently aounced that it plans to cut about 4,000 jobs from its commercial airplanes division by midyear as part of an effort to reduce costs in the face of increasing competition from Airbus Group. No involuntary layoffs are plaed, and 1,600 of the reductions will come from workers who elected to voluntarily leave under a program aounced in February.

Another 2,400 positions are either vacant or will be reduced through attrition. It’s unknown how many reductions might occur in Southe Califoia.

Lockheed Martin recently aounced a voluntary layoff program as well that targets about 1,000 mid-level employees in the company’s aeronautics division. Edwards Air Force Base has a total of 550 employees, and 200 are eligible to volunteer. Palmdale has 900 employees who are eligible out of the 2,300 who work there.