Crypto markets were unfazed on Friday as US job growth rebounded sharply in March, with nonfarm payrolls rising by 178,000, well above expectations for a 60,000 gain. Data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) also showed that the nation's unemployment rate edged down to 4.3%.
US Jobs Beat Forecasts in March, Dimming Fed Rate Cut Outlook
3 April 2026 - 18:26 CEST
By Ana Pereira
The March hiring surge marks a reversal from February's revised 133,000 job losses, which had prompted concerns about labour market weakness.
Treasury yields advance
Following the stronger-than-expected report, the yield on the US 10-year Treasury note climbed four basis points to 4.35%, moving further away from two-week lows reached in recent days. The move came during a shortened US Treasury trading session on Good Friday, while US equity markets were closed.
The data reinforced expectations that the US Federal Reserve will keep the federal funds rate unchanged for now, despite geopolitical tensions and macro uncertainty in the oil market amid the US-Iran war.
Bitcoin is little changed
Bitcoin (BTC) remained largely flat, trading at $66,890 at 16:13UTC, as investors digested mixed signals from the BLS data alongside other jobs figures.
The ADP National Employment Report, released on 1 Apr, revealed 62,000 jobs added in March. The number of people jobless for 27 weeks or more reached 1.8mn in March, up by 322,000 over the year, raising potential concerns about long-term unemployment.
