WASHINGTON (AP) — With hopes rising for a powerful rebound in hiring this year, Friday’s jobs report for March will provide crucial insight into whether those rosy expectations may prove true.
The most optimistic economists are predicting that the government will report that as many as 1 million jobs were added in March — a blistering gain that would help recover a decent chunk of the 9.5 million jobs that remain lost to the pandemic. Still, overall, economists surveyed by data provider FactSet have forecast an increase of 615,000.
After a year of epic job losses, waves of coronavirus infections, and small business closures, numerous trends are brightening the outlook.
