Washington DC: US job growth was down by 79,000 in a preliminary estimate released by the US Bureau of Labour Statistics, indicating a downward adjustment of 0.1 per cent to total nonfarm employment in the 12 months through March 2026.

The agency also showed a steeper reduction in the private sector, where preliminary figures indicated an adjustment of -178,000, representing a decline of 0.1 per cent.

"The preliminary estimate of the Current Employment Statistics (CES) national benchmark revision to total nonfarm employment for March 2026 was -79,000 (-0.1 per cent)," the US Bureau of Labour Statistics stated in its report. "The preliminary benchmark revision for total private employment was -178,000 (-0.1 per cent)."

The government agency noted that the overall adjustment remained smaller than historical variations observed over the previous decade.

"The annual benchmark revisions over the last 10 years have an absolute average of 0.2 per cent of total nonfarm employment," the report said.

The Current Employment Statistics estimates undergo an annual alignment against broader counts compiled by the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. These administrative figures originate from mandatory state unemployment insurance tax records that nearly all employers submit to state workforce agencies.

"The preliminary benchmark revision reflects the difference between two independently derived employment counts, each subject to its own sources of error," the bureau noted.

"It serves as a preliminary measure of the total error in CES employment estimates from March 2025 to March 2026," the agency added.

The preliminary revisions covered major industry sectors for March 2026. Across several individual sector series, the adjustments revealed larger percentage movements than the aggregated nonfarm figure, reflecting higher statistical variability in narrower segments.

"As is typically the case, many of the individual industry series show larger percentage revisions than the total nonfarm series, primarily because statistical sampling error is greater at more detailed levels than at an aggregated level," the report stated.

The bureau clarified that current official establishment survey estimates were not updated based on this preliminary release.

"In accordance with usual practice, the final benchmark revision will be issued in February 2027 with the publication of the January 2027 Employment Situation news release," it reported.

"The final benchmark revision will be incorporated into official estimates with the publication of the January 2027 Employment Situation news release in February 2027," the agency stated.

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.