US business hiring finally tops recession losses

Most U.S. industries added workers in March, when payrolls rose 192,000, according to Friday's monthly jobs report from the Labor Department.

The gains marked a pivotal moment for the 4½-year-old economic recovery. Private employers have finally added more jobs than they shed during the recession.

The private sector now employs 116.1 million people, the highest total since January 2008. The mix of that population has changed. There are more temporary workers and fewer bookkeepers and executive secretaries. Government still has yet to fully recover from the downturn.

Hiring in February was revised up to 197,000 added jobs from the previous estimate of 175,000, according to the report.

The past two monthly job gains are roughly in line with average monthly improvements since 20011. The unemployment rate stayed at 6.7 percent for a second straight month.

Restaurants added 30,400 workers in March, construction firms 19,000. Companies added 28,500 temporary employees. The health care industry hired 19,500.

But both manufacturing and government shed workers. The makers of processed foods and rubber and plastic products thinned their ranks, causing the loss of 1,000 manufacturing jobs over all.

The government continues to hinder job growth. The federal government cut 8,500 from its payrolls in March. Hiring across the state, local and federal governments was flat last month.

Here's a look at the jobs added or lost in each major industry category: