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WASHINGTON (AP) — Hiring continues to happen at a robust pace even though there are signs of weakness in the economy.
That's the conclusion of analysts in advance of Friday's release of unemployment figures for March. Experts foresee a 13th straight month of job gains above 200,000 — an encouraging sign for an economy that's still showing steady gains despite a harsh winter that squeezed growth.
The jobs report will be released by the Labor Department at 8:30 a.m., Eastern time, and economists expect it to hold steady at the 5.5 percent rate of February.
Monthly job gains have averaged nearly 275,000 since March of last year. That translates into 3.3 million more Americans earning paychecks than a year ago. It's an influx for the workforce that should have helped power more consumer spending and growth. But factors ranging from snowstorms to a stronger dollar appear to have restrained growth at the start of the year.
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