FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
April 1, 2022 
Washington, DC 

Credit Union National Association (CUNA) Senior Economist Dawit Kebede, PhD, issued the following statement in response to the Labor Department’s March Employment Situation:  

“The economy posted strong job growth in March as consumer demand continued to increase due to subsiding Omicron cases.  The unemployment rate dropped to 3.6% -- edging closer to a pre-pandemic level of 3.5%. A quarter of the job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality as consumers are feeling more comfortable traveling and engaging in-person.

“Labor force participation increased slightly indicating more people are re-entering the job market. However, it is still lower than the pre-pandemic participation level, leading employers to increase wages to attract workers. Average hourly earnings increased 5.4% in the last 12 months.

 “Continued increase in wage growth will lead to more price increases as businesses transfer these costs to consumers. This impacts low wage earners who are already struggling to make ends meet with price increases in broad consumer items.”

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About CUNA:            
Credit Union National Association (CUNA) is the only national association that advocates on behalf of all of America’s credit unions, which are owned by 120 million consumer members. CUNA, along with its network of affiliated state credit union leagues, delivers unwavering advocacy, continuous professional growth and operational confidence to protect the best interests of all credit unions. For more information about CUNA, visit cuna.org. To find your nearest credit union, visit YourMoneyFurther.com. 

CONTACT: 
Deshundra Jefferson
CUNA Communications
(202) 809-4081