US JOB GROWTH RATE SLOWS

US job growth likely slowed in March as the boost from mild temperatures faded, but the gains were probably more than enough to push the -

Unemployment down to 4.0 percent, indicating the labor market continues to tighten

Nonfarm payrolls probably increased by 193,000 jobs last month, according to a Reuters survey of  economists. Payrolls surged 313,000 in February as unusually warm weather saw construction firms hire the most workers since 2007.

Temperatures returned to normal in March, with some snowstorms.

''The shift from unreasonably warm weather in February to warm seasonably normal temperatures in March will depress job growth, likely in construction, retail and leisure and hospitality,'' said Ryan Sweet, an economist at Moody's Analytics in West Chester, Pennsylvania.

March anticipated job growth would be below the 242,000 average of the past three months. Still, it would be well above the roughly 100,000 jobs per month needed to keep up with growth in the working-age population.

The unemployment rate is forecast to fall 1/10th of a percentage point to 4.0 percent, which would be the lowest level since December 2000, and the first drop in the jobless rate in six months.

Despite signs of rapidly diminishing labor market slack, wage growth likely remained moderate in March.

Average hourly earnings are expected to have risen 0.2 percent last month after edging up 0.1 percent in February.

The gain would lift the annual increase in average hourly earnings to 2.7 percent from 2.6 percent in February.

Wages remain the weakest link in the tight labor market. [Agencies]