Job growth totaled 303,000 in March, better than expected, and unemployment was 3.8%

Job creation in March easily topped expectations in a sign of continued acceleration for what has been a bustling and resilient labor market.

Nonfarm payrolls increased 303,000 for the month, well above the Dow Jones estimate for an increase of 200,000 and higher than the downwardly revised 270,000 gain in February, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.

The unemployment rate edged lower to 3.8%, as expected.

In the key average hourly earnings measure, wages rose 0.3% for the month and 4.1% from a year ago, both in line with Wall Street estimates.

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