US employers added the fewest number of jobs in more than a year in March. That could heighten concerns over the recent slowdown in economic growth and delay an anticipated interest rate increase by the Federal Reserve.<br /><br /> Nonfarm payrolls rose 126,000 last month, the smallest gain since December 2013, the US Labour Department said on Friday (April 3). The goods producing sector, which had been hurt by a strong dollar and lower crude oil prices, shed 13,000 jobs in March – the largest drop since July 2013.<br /><br /> The unemployment rate held at a more than 6-1/2-year low of 5.5 percent because people dropped out of the workforce.<br /><br /> There was some good news: average hourly earnings increased seven cents, lifting the year-on-year gain to 2.1 percent.<br /><br /> With Wal-Mart and McDonald’s announcing pay increases for their hourly workers, wage growth could gain some traction in the months ahead.
