Economists Flag Jobs Data Swings After February Revised to -133K

The U.S. job market posted a stronger-than-expected rebound in March, but sharp revisions to prior months are raising new questions about the bigger picture.

The economy added 178,000 jobs while unemployment dipped to 4.3%, according to the latest Labor Department data.

But the surprise comes with a catch. February’s report was revised to show a loss of 133,000 jobs—far worse than initially reported—highlighting how volatile recent data has been.

According to Reuters and AP reporting, job gains were driven largely by health care and a rebound from temporary disruptions like strikes and weather.

At the same time, labor force participation fell, meaning fewer people were counted as actively working or seeking jobs.

Large revisions have become a pattern, including a 2025 adjustment that erased over 900,000 previously reported jobs.

Economists say revisions are normal, but the scale and political pressure surrounding federal data continues to fuel skepticism about how strong the labor market really is.

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