The Labor Department reported 162,000 jobs were added in March, which is the most since the dawn of the recession but still below the 190,000 jobs that most analysts had expected. The unemployment rate held steady at 9.7 percent for the third consecutive month.

The Associated Press reports 15 million Americans remain out of work, which is about double what it was before the recession began in December 2007.

Hiring for the U.S. Census added 48,000 temporary jobs last month. The manufacturing sector added 17,000 jobs, which is the third straight month of increases. The construction industry added 15,000 positions, health care added 37,000 and leisure/hospitality added 22,000.

Another positive sign in the report was the fact the average work week increased from 33.9 hours to 34 hours. The AP notes that employers tend to work current employees longer before hiring new workers.