U.S. employment rises by 88,000 jobs in March

U.S. employment rose by 88,000 jobs in March, enough to drop the nation's jobless rate by a tenth of a point.

The country's unemployment rate dropped to 7.6 percent last month after registering at 7.7 percent in February, according to a news release from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Among month-to-month employment changes were increases in professional and business services and a decline in retail trade.

The professional and business services industry added 51,000 jobs in March, bringing its 12-month growth to 533,000. Within the industry, accounting and bookkeeping services added 11,000 jobs last month, the release said.

Health care employment rose by 23,000 jobs in March, on par with its 12-month average. Within the sector, ambulatory health care services added 15,000 jobs, while hospital employment increased by 8,000.

Retail trade employment fell by 24,000 jobs last month, after the industry had added an average of 32,000 jobs per month for the past six months. Last month, job declines occurred in clothing and clothing accessories stores, at 15,000; building material and garden supply stores, 10,000; and electronics and appliance stores, 6,000, according to the BLS.