Washington, Apr 5 (UNI) U.S. employers added 228,000 jobs in March as federal government employment declines, with the unemployment rate edging up to 4.2 percent, the U.S. Labor Department reported Friday.

"Job gains occurred in health care, in social assistance, and in transportation and warehousing. Employment also increased in retail trade, partially reflecting the return of workers from a strike," according to the department's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Within government, federal government employment declined by 4,000 in March, following a loss of 11,000 jobs in February, the report showed, adding that employees on paid leave or receiving ongoing severance pay are counted as employed.

As the Donald Trump administration continues to reduce the federal workforce, this data could be negatively impacted in the coming months.

In March, average hourly earnings for all employees on private non-farm payrolls rose by 9 cents, or 0.3 percent, to 36.00 U.S. dollars. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have increased by 3.8 percent.

The U.S. labor market saw job growth of a revised 111,000 in January, followed by a revised 117,000 in February.

UNI XINHUA ARN