Manufacturing regains 15,000 jobs in March

Manufacturing added approximately 15,000 jobs last month, according to figures released April 3 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Employment Situation Report. Effectively all of the jobs gained were in durable goods production: the smaller nondurable goods manufacturing sector produced net zero jobs in March, as jobs gained there equaled jobs lost. Manufacturing employment is now roughly 99% of what it was in March 2025, when manufacturers employed 12,666,000 people to last month’s 12,591,000, as job gains and losses have been largely flat on net.

The sizeable transportation goods sector made up a plurality of jobs gained in durable goods, adding about 6,500 new workers according to preliminary figures. Fabricated metals and nonmetallic mineral companies followed by adding, respectively, 5,200 and 2,800 jobs. The biggest loser in durable goods was furniture manufacturing, which shed 2,000 jobs.

In nondurable goods production, gains in three industries were offset by broad losses elsewhere. Beverage and tobacco companies added 2,600 workers, plastics and rubber production added 2,500 and paper companies notched 2,400, but losses of 5,200 workers in chemicals manufacturing and 1,400 in food production added up with losses of under a thousand jobs in most other categories to bring the net gain of nondurables jobs last month to 0.

In the overall nonfarm economy, including manufacturing, U.S. employers hired 178,000 last month, and the unemployment rate remained at 4.3%. Manufacturing-adjacent industries were flat or enjoyed substantial jobs gains. Transportation and warehousing added 21,000 jobs thanks to a 20,000-job gain in couriers and messengers, while mining and oil and gas extraction were largely flat.

In a statement, Labor Secretary Chavez-DeRemer credited the Presidential administration with strong job growth and highlighted manufacturing’s positive quarter.

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“Through the Working Families Tax Cuts, historic private investments, and fair trade policies, President Trump is putting more money in Americans’ pockets and empowering job creators,” Secretary Chavez-DeRemer said. “This is evident through strong growth in construction jobs, particularly factory construction, and manufacturing having its first positive quarter in several years – proving that we are bringing production back to the United States.”