Average hourly earnings for all employees on US private nonfarm payrolls rose by 9 cents, or 0.2%, to $37.38 in March 2026, registering the smallest increase in three months. This followed 0.4% gains in both January and February and fell short of market expectations for a 0.3% advance.
For private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees, average hourly earnings edged up by 5 cents, or 0.2%, to $32.07.
On an annual basis, average hourly earnings were up 3.5% in March, the weakest pace since May 2021. This compared with a 3.8% increase in February and market forecasts of 3.7%.
