Employers in the U.S. probably added jobs in March, setting the stage for a broadening of the economic expansion.
Payrolls are expected to rise by 190,000, the most in three years, after declining 36,000 in February, according to the median forecast of 62 economists surveyed by Bloomberg News before a Labor Department report due out Friday.
Various news organizations, including Dow Jones, Reuters, Bloomberg and CBS MarketWatch, poll economists before release of the report, which includes job numbers and the unemployment rate.
A Dow Jones Newswires survey predicts March nonfarm payroll jobs will increase by 203,000. That would be the largest rise since March 2007 — well before the recession began.
The March consumer confidence index came in at 52.5, up from 46.4 in February, slightly beating forecasts, the Conference Board said moments ago.
This marks a rebound to January levels, which hit 56.5.
The Conference Board index is one of two prominent monthly measures of consumer confidence, the other being the Reuters/University of Michigan number. That number came out last week and showed essentially no change from February.
So we’ve got conflicting numbers between the new major indexes. Obviously, each poll has different methodology. The Conference Board’s index is based on a monthly survey of 5,000 U.S. households, for instance.
The Democrats are growing a backbone, the economy is recovering, we’re getting out of Iraq, the Afghanistan mission seems to be working, and the Democrats passed health insurance reform that will help a lot of people, all with the Republicans trying to blog every move so they could claim a “do-nothing” administration. Next is financial reform, which Republicans will try to block.
Democrats may actually pick up some seats this fall!
DRUDGE RETORT 