U.S. March jobs smash expectations, with 178,000 added

Markets Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email U.S. March jobs smash expectations, with 178,000 added Bitcoin continued to trade near the $67,000 level just following the strong report. By Stephen Alpher Apr 3, 2026, 12:33 p.m. Make preferred on U.S. jobs data for March released Friday (Getty images) The U.S. employment market rebounded in a big way from February's sizable losses. According to a Friday morning release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the country added 178,000 jobs in March, after losing 133,000 positions the previous month. Economist forecasts had been for 60,000 jobs to have been added. The unemployment rate fell to 4.3% versus 4.4% in February and expectations for 4.4%. At least part of the beat was due to a sizable downward revision in the February data from an originally reported decline of 92,000. Trading quietly near the $67,000 level in the hours ahead of the data, bitcoin BTC $ 67,097.67 remained there in the minutes just following the report. Expectations about the future course of interest rates, of late, have been far more influenced by events in the Middle East and the price of crude oil than by the outlook for domestic economic growth. As recently as last week, oil's surging price had markets forecasting imminent rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve. Speaking earlier this week, though, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said the central bank recognized that oil price shocks — while initially making headline inflation numbers look worse — can depress economic activity. He indicated the Fed would be in no hurry to raise rates in response to short-term moves in the price of crude. Breaking News More For You Encryption Supremacy: Zcash and Privacy in the Age of Scale By CoinDesk Research Mar 31, 2026 Commissioned by GenZcash Most crypto privacy models weaken as blockchain data grows. Encryption-based models like Zcash strengthen. CoinDesk Research maps the five privacy approaches and examines the widening gap. Why it matters : As blockchain adoption scales, the metadata available to machine learning models scales with it. Obfuscation-based privacy approaches are structurally degrading as a result. This report provides a comprehensive comparison of all five major crypto privacy architectures and a framework for evaluating which models remain durable as AI capabilities improve. View Full Report More For You Ethereum Foundation stakes another $93 million ether, reaching its 70,000 ETH target By Shaurya Malwa | Edited by Omkar Godbole 55 minutes ago The foundation deposited the bulk of its planned staking commitment in a single session, completing a program announced in February to turn dormant treasury holdings into a yield-generating position. What to know : The Ethereum Foundation has now staked roughly $143 million worth of ether, effectively completing its previously announced 70,000 ETH staking target. The move shifts the foundation from regularly selling ETH to help fund its roughly $100 million in annual expenses toward earning staking yield of an estimated $3.9 million to... Read full story Latest Crypto News Ethereum Foundation stakes another $93 million ether, reaching its 70,000 ETH target 55 minutes ago Crypto snoozes into Good Friday as oil and macro stir: Crypto Daybook Americas 1 hour ago Crypto consolidates as volatility cools and futures markets tilt bearish 2 hours ago Naoris Protocol's quantum-resistant blockchain goes live as Bitcoin and Ethereum face 'Q-Day' threats 3 hours ago Bitcoin heads into holiday weekend exposed as ETF and CME flows go offline 8 hours ago Todd Blanche, author of DOJ crypto enforcement memo, is now interim AG 12 hours ago Top Stories CFTC sues Illinois, Arizona, Connecticut over states' sports prediction market efforts 20 hours ago Coinbase wins initial bank regulator nod for trust charter, boosting custody push 20 hours ago Bitcoin trims big loss, stocks erase 2% decline, as Iran signals cooperation on key shipping route 21 hours ago How a Solana feature designed for convenience let attackers drain more than $270 million from Drift 21 hours ago North Koreans hackers likely behind $286 million Drift Protocol exploit: Elliptic 21 hours ago The 'time pain' trap: why bitcoin’s bear market might need a few more months of ‘boring’ to hit a true floor 22 hours ago In this article BTC BTC $ 67,097.67 ◢ 1.60 %