WASHINGTON - Today, Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee Mike Lee (R-UT) and Senior House Republican David Schweikert (R-AZ) released the following statement in response to the U.S. Labor Department March 2019 jobs report:

"This month continues our now 102-month streak of job gains, a great sign for American families and workers. While unemployment stayed steady at 3.8%, our economy beat expectations by adding 196,000 jobs. More people are being employed in high-wage industries, and those in lower-wage industries are seeing the biggest wage increases. Overall, the economy continues to be strong and we hope Americans will continue to see increased benefits that will result in great reports like this one."

Background: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the US economy added 196,000 jobs in the month of March. BLS also revised the numbers for January and February, adding an additional 1,000 and 13,000 jobs respectively. The prime-age labor force participation rate remained steady at 82.5%, and the average hourly earnings in March were 3.2 percent higher than in March 2018. Notably, the prime-age labor force participation for men ticked up to 89.5%, a level not seen since June 2010.