US job growth through March expected to be revised down sharply

By Lucia Mutikani

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The level of U.S. employment for the 12 months through March could be slashed by as many as one million jobs when the government publishes its preliminary nonfarm payrolls benchmark estimate on Tuesday, economists predicted.

The payrolls benchmark revision would come on the heels of news last Friday that job growth almost stalled in August and the economy shed jobs in June for the first time in 4-1/2 years. It would suggest the labor market was already struggling before President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariffs on imports. An immigration crackdown by the White House has undercut labor supply, while a shift by businesses to artificial intelligence tools and automation is curbing demand for workers.

“The slowdown in job growth is less about a sudd