Jobs Increase by 215,000; Unemployment at 5%

March’s U.S. employment numbers, released today by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), noted that total, non-farm payroll jobs increased by 215,000 from February.

The unemployment rate of 5% represented a slight increase from the previous month’s 4.9%. The BLS noted that unemployment and the number of unemployed people (8 million) have experienced little change since August.

The labor force participation rate was 63%, while the employment-population ratio stood at 59.9%. The participation rate refers to the number of people who are either employed or actively looking for work, while the employment-population ratio indicates the percentage of the total population that is employed (and includes individuals who have stopped looking for work). Both figures increased slightly month over month.