Jobs increased in March, but jobless rate holds steady

The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday reported an increase of 162,000 in March, but the unemployment rate held steady at 9.7 percent. 

The addition of temporary workers, including those for the 2010 Census, contributed mightily to the jobs total. Hires in the health care sector also helped. 

The Treasury is expected to hold a briefing later this morning on what the jobs figures mean in the context of the Obama administration's economic recovery efforts.