• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats

2

Jamie Dimon says his stockbroker father taught him to invest with a 'brutally hard' childhood game

3

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'

1

eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats

2

Jamie Dimon says his stockbroker father taught him to invest with a 'brutally hard' childhood game

3

The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
FinanceEconomy

Don’t blame oil for the lousy March jobs report

By
Stephen Gandel
Stephen Gandel
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Stephen Gandel
Stephen Gandel
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 3, 2015, 3:28 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

If the economy is slipping, it’s not because of oil.

On Friday, the Labor Department reported that employers added 126,000 workers to their payrolls in March. That was the worst jobs gain since December 2013, and it was significantly less than economists were expecting for the month. After a string of very good jobs reports that seemed to indicate the economy was growing as fast as it has in over a decade, March’s jobs report was a letdown.

But some economists have said that we shouldn’t be all that surprised by the bad number, or even concerned. Why is that? The black mark on the labor market, they argue, was really on account of troubles in one sector: oil. And it was to be expected. Crude prices have plunged over the past six months. Lower oil prices means less fracking and drilling in America, which we have been doing more of, and thus fewer jobs.

But here’s the thing: While there are several likely reasons employers hired fewer workers than expected in March—the weak global economy, a strong dollar, fears about rising interest rates, or even the weather—oil is not one of them, or at least not the primary reason.

In March, employers hired 119,000 fewer employees than expected. But job losses in oil and gas accounted for less than 10% of that miss, or just 11,000 jobs. In other words, 90% of the missing jobs were in other industries, like janitorial services, which had 9,200 fewer people employed last month.

Still, it’s not just about the jobs lost. The disappointing jobs report also includes the people that weren’t hired as well. While the oil industry accounts for less than 1% of the overall workforce, the sector maters more than it used to because that’s where the job growth has been coming from.

In the first quarter of 2014, the oil and gas sector did add jobs to the U.S. economy, but just 9,200 over the first three months. Compare that to a drop of 29,600 in the first three months of this year. Add that together, and the total swing from oil and gas job creation to loss in the first three months of the year is nearly 40,000 jobs. And that’s something, but it’s still a drop in the bucket in a workforce of 141 million people.

What’s more, the jobs we have lost in the oil sector have been made up within other parts of the economy, like in retail, where lower gas prices gives consumers more money to spend elsewhere. Retailers added 93,600 workers to their payrolls in the first three months of the year. In the first three months of last year, retail employment dropped by 9,000 workers. That’s a 102,600 net gain, versus oil’s 40,000 loss.

So what’s going on? The March jobs numbers confirm what some economists have been arguing for a while now: for whatever reason, the economy, all of a sudden, is slowing. It’s not just oil. Hopefully, the Federal Reserve is watching.

About the Author
By Stephen Gandel
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Finance

First-time homebuyer loans and programs: What they are and how to use them to your advantage
Personal Financemortgages
First-time homebuyer loans and programs: What they are and how to use them to your advantage
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 29, 2026
2 hours ago
Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH
SuccessPersonal Finance
LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault reveals he owned nearly 20% of Netflix, but cashed out too early—his stake could be worth up to $60 billion today
By Emma BurleighJuly 29, 2026
4 hours ago
Millionaires are leaving the U.K. in droves thanks to tax hikes—but the CEO of $1 billion tax platform says it’s their ‘social responsibility’ to stay
SuccessWealth
Millionaires are leaving the U.K. in droves thanks to tax hikes—but the CEO of $1 billion tax platform says it’s their ‘social responsibility’ to stay
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJuly 29, 2026
5 hours ago
Costco’s $14 million email settlement: Who qualifies for an up-to $500 payment and how to claim before the Aug. 24 deadline
RetailCostco
Costco’s $14 million email settlement: Who qualifies for an up-to $500 payment and how to claim before the Aug. 24 deadline
By Sydney LakeJuly 29, 2026
5 hours ago
Foreign buyers seem to be following Zohran Mamdani’s cue — and fleeing American real estate
EconomyWealth
Foreign buyers seem to be following Zohran Mamdani’s cue — and fleeing American real estate
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 29, 2026
6 hours ago
j
LawJohnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson proposes $5.5 billion talc settlement after $9 billion deal shot down by bankruptcy court
By Michelle Chapman and The Associated PressJuly 29, 2026
6 hours ago

Most Popular

eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats
Law
eBay will pay nearly $50 million after employees reportedly sent a Massachusetts couple a bloody pig mask, cockroaches and death threats
By The Associated Press and Leah WillinghamJuly 28, 2026
23 hours ago
Jamie Dimon says his stockbroker father taught him to invest with a 'brutally hard' childhood game
C-Suite
Jamie Dimon says his stockbroker father taught him to invest with a 'brutally hard' childhood game
By Sarah GlodekJuly 29, 2026
13 hours ago
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
Real Estate
The millennial generation is split in 2: an older crowd with boomer-style comfort, a younger set going 'back to the early 1900s'
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 25, 2026
4 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 28, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 28, 2026
1 day ago
Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
C-Suite
Why did a $154 billion CEO just endorse stripping most Americans of voting rights—and taking us back to the 19th century?
By Nick LichtenbergJuly 27, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of gold as of July 28, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of July 28, 2026
By Danny BakstJuly 28, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.