This Sounds Like Goods News

Wow, and at the top of the AP Wire and everything. (Spoke too soon.)

Employers boosted payrolls by a sizable 211,000 in March in a springtime hiring burst that pushed the unemployment rate down to 4.7 percent.

The latest snapshot of the U.S. job market, released by the Labor Department Friday, suggested that an accelerating economic expansion is putting companies in the hiring mood, brightening prospects for those seeking work.

[AP Editorial Fluff in a News Article.]

Hiring gains were fairly widespread. Construction, retailers, financial activities, education and health care, and government were among the sectors posting payroll gains. That help to blunt job losses in manufacturing and in the transportation industries.

The unemployment rate, which dropped from February's 4.8 percent, ended up matching January's jobless rate, which was the lowest in 4 1/2 years.

"Businesses are regaining confidence to the point where they are now actively hiring new workers," said Lynn Reaser, chief economist at Bank of America's Investment Strategies Group.

Employment was stronger in March than economists were expecting. Before the release of the report, they were forecasting a gain of 190,000 jobs and they said they believed the overall civilian jobless rate would hold steady.

Here's a question for Fall of 2006: Which candidate for Governor will take credit/blame for the Economy?

Green who in Congress passed tax cuts to help ensure economic growth for all Americans? OR Doyle who has played "Sunny Jim / Gloomy Jim" all year to deflect blame?