Retail Jobs Collapsed In March

By far the ugliest component of the report was retail trade jobs, which plunged by 24,000.

"The industry had added an average of 32,000 jobs per month over the prior six months," wrote the Bureau of Labor Statistics in its report. "In March, job declines occurred in clothing and clothing accessories stores (-15,000), building material and garden supply stores (-10,000), and electronics and appliance stores (-6,000)."

This is a sign to many that the payroll tax increase at the beginning of the year is really starting to bite.

For more on today's jobs report, see here >