Author: Lynn Sweet

Read the argument and graphs here.

(Photo by Getty Images)

WASHINGTON–President Obama, a diehard White Sox fan, wore a Nationals windbreaker when he walked out on the field on Monday, to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at the home opener. When he put on a White Sox cap, the crowd booed.

Obama threw the pitch–he deemed it a “little high and outside” and motorcaded back to the White House, making the trip from Nationals Park–about a mile south of the Capitol– in a remarkable seven minutes.

FASHION NOTE: Obama wore khaki pants to the Nationals mound; he wore jeans–criticized as nerdy and frumpy–when he tossed out the first pitch at the All Stars game last year, wearing a White Sox jacket.

For the pool report, click below…..

Pool report
by Sam Youngman
The Hill
White House correspondent

“A little high and outside” — POTUS

POTUS, dressed in khakis and a Nats windbreaker, emerged from the Nats dugout a
few minutes after 1. From on the field, sounded like a good mix of boos and
applause. He shook hands with a group of wounded warriors (names coming).

POTUS drew a healthy round of boos when he donned a White Sox hat when he took
the mound. It should be noted that before 44 came out, the park showed on on
montage of former presidents throwing out first pitch. While Grover Cleveland
got a pass from the crowd, 43 drew audible contempt from the crowd (it is DC and
Philly).

POTUS wound up before delivering his pitch to Nats favorite Ryan Zimmerman. With
all due respect to POTUS, his pitch was more than just a little high and outside
though he did clear the plate.

After the pitch, potus came over to some school kids near the pool where he said
his pitch was “a little high and outside.”

Spotted in the crowd: DC Mayor Adrien Fenty, George Will and Miss America
Caressa Cameron — a former Nat Packer.

Pool is holding outside the stadium, clad in Nats caps and eating hotdogs.

Youngman

President Obama at the Easter Egg Roll. (photo courtesy Eddie Gehman Kohan/Obamafoodorama

White House basketball court (photo by Lynn Sweet)

The White House Easter Egg Roll featured booths with healthy foods. (photo by Lynn Sweet)

J.K. Rowling reading from Harry Potter book at the White House Easter Egg roll. Photo by Lynn Sweet

David Carr at the New York Times reports on how former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has made herself a successful–and wealthy– brand since the 2008 presidential campaign–when know-it-all pundits told her to go back to Alaska and study up on the issues.

WASHINGTON–Former White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers will make her first public appearance since leaving the White House April 29 in Chicago, at a Chicago Advertising Federation lunch at the Palmer House. Some of the proceeds will help benefit Chicago’s Off The Street Club, which helps boys and girls who live on the West Side.

From CAF: “Gloria Scoby, senior vice president/ group publisher, Crain Commu-nications, Inc., will moderate the conversation with Rogers who will address several topics, including her role as Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary.”

The public can purchase tickets. For information: http://www.chicagoadfed.org

WASHINGTON–President Obama, First Lady Michelle, Malia, Sasha and First Gram, Marian Robinson, attended Easter Sunday services at Allen Chapel AME.

The church is in a part of the city a few miles from a recent shooting spree that left four dead. This is the fifth time Obama has attended church in Washington since becoming president. My report on the church service is here.

From the White House….

Update: The Easter Egg Roll livestream schedule for Monday, April 5, 2010 has been added below. Watch the events live on WhiteHouse.gov/live

The President and First Lady Speak at the 2010 Easter Egg Roll: 10:45 AM EDT
Rock ‘n’ Egg Roll Stage:
Little Beat Music Performs: 7:45 AM EDT
Cast of Glee Performs: 8:35 AM EDT, 11:10 AM EDT
Sara Bareilles Performs: 9:25 AM EDT, 1:25 PM EDT
Yo Gabba Gabba Performs: 10:00 AM EDT, 12:00 PM EDT
Justin Bieber Performs: 12:35 PM EDT, 2:35 PM EDT
Sesame Street Performs: 2:00 PM EDT, 4:00 PM EDT
Billy Jonas Performs: 3:25 PM EDT, 4:35 PM EDT, 5:25 PM EDT
Story Time Stage:
Elmo and Maria Read: 8:00 AM EDT
Shellie Pfohl Reads: 8:30 AM EDT
Marian Robinson Reads: 9:00 AM EDT, 12:30 PM EDT
Reese Witherspoon Reads: 9:30 AM EDT, 10:00 AM EDT
Special Guests Read: 11:10 AM EDT, 4:00 PM EDT
Betty DeGeneres Reads: 11:30 AM EDT, 1:00 PM EDT
Mariska Hargitay Reads: 12:00 PM EDT
JK Rowling Reads: 1:30 PM EDT, 2:00 PM EDT
Cole Sprouse Reads: 2:30 PM EDT
Apolo Ohno Reads: 3:00 PM EDT, 4:30 PM EDT
Dylan Sprouse Reads: 3:30 PM EDT
DJ Lance Reads: 5:00 PM EDT
Art Smith Reads: 5:30 PM EDT

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_______________________________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 4, 2010

DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR
MONDAY, APRIL 5, 2010

In the morning, the President will receive the Presidential Daily Briefing and the Economic Daily Briefing in the Oval Office. These briefings are closed press.

Later, the First Family will attend the Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn. The President and the First Lady will deliver remarks. This event is open to pre-credentialed media; the deadline to request credentials has passed. The President’s and the First Lady’s remarks, as well as the performances of the headliner music acts and Storytime Stage readers will be broadcast live on www.WhiteHouse.gov/live. A full schedule of the day’s events will be posted Monday morning on www.WhiteHouse.gov/live.

In the afternoon, the President will throw out the first pitch on Opening Day at Nationals Park. There will be travel pool coverage.

In the evening, the President will meet with senior advisors in the Oval Office. This meeting is closed press.

In-Town Travel Pool
Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg
Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP
TV Corr & Crew: NBC
Print: The Hill
Radio: AURN

EDT

9:00AM Pool Call Time

9:30AM THE PRESIDENT receives the Presidential Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press

10:00AM THE PRESIDENT receives the Economic Daily Briefing
Oval Office
Closed Press

10:45AM THE FIRST FAMILY attends the Easter Egg Roll; THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY deliver remarks
South Lawn
Open to pre-credentialed media (Pre-set 9:15AM – Final Gather 10:00AM – North Doors of the Palm Room)

12:55PM THE PRESIDENT throws out the first pitch on Opening Day
Nationals Park
Travel Pool Coverage (Gather time 11:45AM – Briefing Room)

5:15PM THE PRESIDENT meets with senior advisors
Oval Office
Closed Press

##

Schedule for Week of April 5, 2010

On Monday morning, the First Family will attend the Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn. In the afternoon the President will throw out the first pitch at opening day at Nationals Park.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the President attends meetings at the White House.

On Wednesday evening, the President will travel to Prague, arriving Thursday morning local time. The President will attend a bilateral meeting with President Medvedev of Russia, followed by a signing ceremony and a press conference with Presidents Obama and Medvedev. The President will then attend a ceremonial lunch with the three countries – the United States, Russia and the Czech Republic. On Thursday night, the President will attend a dinner with 11 heads of state and government from Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

On Friday morning, the President will attend a bilateral meeting with the President and the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, before returning to Washington and landing that night.

##

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_______________________________________________________________________________________

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 2, 2010

WEEKEND GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FOR

SATURDAY, APRIL 3 AND SUNDAY, APRIL 4, 2010

The President has no scheduled public events on Saturday. On Sunday, the President and the First Lady will attend Easter services at a church in Washington, DC. There will be travel pool coverage.

Saturday’s In-Town Travel Pool

Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg

Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP

TV Corr & Crew: CNN

Print: Gannett News

Radio: ABC

Sunday’s In-Town Travel Pool

Wires: AP, Reuters, Bloomberg

Wire Photos: AP, Reuters, AFP

TV Corr & Crew: FOX

Print: Hearst Newspapers

Radio: AP

Saturday, April 3, 2010

11:30AM Pool Call Time

Sunday, April 4, 2010

EDT

10:00AM Pool Call Time

11:00AM THE PRESIDENT and THE FIRST LADY attend Easter services at a local church

Washington, DC

Travel Pool Coverage (Gather time 10:25AM – North Doors of the Palm Room)

Schedule for Week of April 5, 2010

On Monday morning, the First Family will attend the Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn. In the afternoon the President will throw out the first pitch at opening day at Nationals Park.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the President attends meetings at the White House.

On Wednesday evening, the President will travel to Prague, arriving Thursday morning local time. The President will attend a bilateral meeting with President Medvedev of Russia, followed by a signing ceremony and a press conference with Presidents Obama and Medvedev. The President will then attend a ceremonial lunch with the three countries – the United States, Russia and the Czech Republic. On Thursday night, the President will attend a dinner with 11 heads of state and government from Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.

On Friday morning, the President will attend a bilateral meeting with the President and the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, before returning to Washington and landing that night.

##

WASHINGTON–The White House Friday said that actor Kal Penn is still on the job as an associate director in the White House Office of Public Engagement, even as a report surfaced that he is departing.

One year ago–April, 2009– Penn, the star of “House” had his character killed off and announced he would be going to work in the Obama White House. Penn made the move to Washington from Los Angeles last July and went to work using his real name–Kalpen Modi.

On Friday, Entertainment Weekly said he was leaving the White House to return to acting

A White House spokesman, Shin Inouye, told me Friday, “Mr. Modi is honored to serve in this Administration and has no announcements to make about his tenure here at this point.”

I asked if Modi was still at the White House and Inouye told me “yes.” I asked if Modi confirmed the Entertainment Weekly story and I was told, “he did not.” The story uses an unnamed rep of the actor for confirmation.

Here’s what I wrote last July:

Kal Penn the actor–and the screen name– is on a sabbatical.

Kalpen Modi, 32, an associate director in the White House Office of Public Engagement reported–finally–for work on Monday, in a suit and tie.

The high profile Obama presidential campaign volunteer is a liaison between the Asian American and arts communities and the White House. He will work in the shop run by two Chicagoans–Valerie Jarrett who presides over the public engagement operation, and Tina Tchen, who directs the office.

During the campaign, Modi–according to his publicist–made more than 175 stops across 26 states and also was on the Obama Campaign’s Arts Policy Committee. His involvement got him to thinking about a career shift.

Back in April, Modi (he never legally changed his name) and the White House announced he was joining the Obama administration, just as his character in the FOX television show “House” committed suicide, with the plot twist upsetting some fans.

Modi moved from Los Angeles to an apartment in Washington, unpacking boxes over the July 4 weekend, he told reporters on Monday. And while he said he expects “to be treated like any staff member,” most don’t debut with a conference call to oblige inquiring reporters.

Watch CBS News Videos Online

Watch CBS News Videos Online

WASHINGTON–There are a lot of stars booked for Monday’s White House Easter Egg Roll, where 30,000 folks are expected on the South Lawn, including Billy Jonas, a Hyde Park native who grew up across the alley from the Obama family.

Among the names:

J.K. Rowling, Reese Witherspoon, Apolo Ohno, Mariska Hargitay, Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Elmo and Maria of Sesame Street and Betty DeGeneres will read on the Storytime Stage

Former Chicagoan Billy Jonas, a native Hyde Parker who lived across the alley of the Obama family when they lived in their condo at 5450 S. East View will be performing on the Ellipse. The invitation to the Billy Jonas Band came from a staffer–not the Obama’s–but that was just fine for Jonas now based in Asheville, N.C. Jonas is a graduate of Kenwood High School.

Chef Art Smith–another Chicagoan who lives in Hyde Park– plus Chef José Andrés, Chef Cliff Wharton, Chef Nora Poullion, Chef Robert Wiedmaier, Chef Susan Limb, Chef Victor Albisu, and the White House Chefs will prepare healthy eating demonstrations.

Tennis great Billie Jean King–who lives part time in Chicago– plus sports figures Gigi Fernandez, Ilana Kloss, Delaney Rudd, Liezel Huber, Katrina Adams, Anna Rawson, Jane Geddes, Kris Tschetter, Martin Gramatica, Michele Smith, Al Bumbry and Earl Boykins will help organize games.

click below for a lot more information..

Below, from the White House…..

White House Announces 2010 Easter Egg Roll Healthy Activities, Top Talent Line-up & 50 Quick Facts

30,000 people from all 50 states and DC will attend Monday’s South Lawn event

On Monday, April 5th, 30,000 people from all 50 states and DC will visit the South Lawn of the White House for this year’s Easter Egg Roll. This year’s activities will reflect the theme, ‘Ready, Set, Go!’ which follows the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative – a national effort to combat childhood obesity. Numerous singers, entertainers, chefs and athletes will participate in this year’s event – the largest annual public event held at the White House.

This year, new activities have been added to ‘egg roll classics’ in order to promote healthy and active living. Activities include:

· Sports Zones – Football, basketball, tennis, golf, softball and obstacle courses

· Rock ‘n’ Egg Roll Stage -Featuring live musical performances

· Storytime Stage

· Hop to it! – An instructional dance center on the South Lawn

· Play with your Food – Make-your-own Garden, Farmer’s Market, Buzzing about Bees, Fun Food Science and more led by the White House Chefs and celebrity guest chefs. This activity center is built around the White House Kitchen Garden

· Eggspress Yourself – Arts and crafts workshop

· Yoga Garden

· An Easter egg hunt & the traditional Easter egg roll

The White House is pleased to welcome the following performers and leaders in their field to participate in this year’s Easter Egg Roll:

· Sara Bareilles, Justin Bieber, the cast of the television show Glee, Yo Gabba Gabba, Sesame Street, and Little Beat, The #1 Chinchilla and DJ Willy Wow! will perform on the Rock ‘n’ Egg Roll Stage

· J.K. Rowling, Reese Witherspoon, Apolo Ohno, Mariska Hargitay, Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Elmo and Maria of Sesame Street and Betty DeGeneres will read on the Storytime Stage

· Billy Jonas and Miss Amy will perform on the Ellipse

· Chef Art Smith, Chef José Andrés, Chef Cliff Wharton, Chef Nora Poullion, Chef Robert Wiedmaier, Chef Susan Limb, Chef Victor Albisu, and the White House Chefs will prepare healthy eating demonstrations in the Play with your Food station.

· Billie Jean King, Gigi Fernandez, Ilana Kloss, Delaney Rudd, Liezel Huber, Katrina Adams, Anna Rawson, Jane Geddes, Kris Tschetter, Martin Gramatica, Michele Smith, Al Bumbry and Earl Boykins will help organize games in the Sports Zones

· NFL players will lead children in healthy activities as a part of the NFL Play 60 Movement. Those participating include Washington Redskins players Kevin Barnes, Alvin Bowen, Derrick Dockery, Reed Doughty, Chris Horton, Marko Mitchell, Will Robinson, Casey Rabach, Justin Tryon, Edwin Williams, Anthony Montgomery, Lorenzo Alexander, H.B. (Horatio Benedict) Blades, Doug Dutch as well as, Baltimore Ravens players Matt Lawrence and Sam Koch

· The DC Youth Orchestra and the United States Marine Corps Band

In an effort to improve and expand on its annual tradition, the White House has done the following:

· For the second year in a row, tickets were distributed online, allowing for more guests from across the nation to attend the event. For the first time, guests from all 50 states and DC will have an opportunity to attend.

· All of the headliner music acts and Storytime Stage readers will have their performances broadcast live on www.whitehouse.gov/eastereggroll. A full schedule will be posted on the morning of April 5th so citizens from across the country can participate in the event.

· The White House has extended this year’s event, with a start time of 7:45 AM and an end time of 5:45 PM. 30,000 tickets have been distributed in 5 different groups. Each group of 6,000 guests will be able to spend two full hours on the White House’s South Lawn.

· An entertainment pavilion has been added to the ellipse so guests can enjoy musical acts and activities as they prepare to enter the South Lawn.

· A more ambitious and comprehensive approach to sustainability was taken to minimize the environmental impact of the 2010 Easter Egg Roll. Some of the highlights include: the “greenest” souvenir egg in Egg Roll history, crafted from Forest Stewardship Council certified U.S. hardwood; goody bags made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic; the use of organically grown fruits and vegetables at the Play with Your Food station; and increased recycling and composting capabilities on the day of the event.

50 Quick Facts about the White House Easter Egg Roll

Ticketing

1) Approximately 250,000 tickets were requested through the online lottery

2) This year an online lottery was used to give more guests from across the US a chance to attend

3) At least one family from all 50 states was successful in the lottery

4) 3,000 tickets were distributed to students of DC, MD and VA schools

5) 4,000 tickets were distributed to military families

Eggs

6) The eggs are available in four unique colors – purple, pink, green, yellow – and include the stamped signatures of the President and First Lady

7) The wooden eggs are produced through a process of wood turning and barrel dying

8) 14,500 hard-boiled and dyed eggs will be used between the egg roll and the egg hunt, and an additional 4,500 hard-boiled eggs will be provided for the egg dying station on the South Lawn

9) “Chirping eggs” will be part of the Egg Hunt, to accommodate guests with visual impairments

10) The Official Souvenir Wooden Egg is given to all children at the event age 12 and younger

11) A total of 135,000 Souvenir wooden eggs were produced for this year’s event

12) The National Park Foundation produces the White House Easter Eggs and they are available for sale at: www.easter.nationalparks.org

Healthy Activities

13) The activities are centered on the theme “Ready, Set, Go!” encouraging healthy and active living in coordination with the First Lady’s Let’s Move! initiative. Some of the activities include:

14) Football – NFL players will teach children to catch and throw, as well as coach them through an obstacle course to test their new skills

15) Family Farmer’s Market – a look at healthy eating with celebrity chef demo stations.

16) Make Your Own Garden – using the White House Kitchen Garden as the inspiration, children can make a seeding cup to take their own garden home to grow

17) Softball, Golf, Soccer, Basketball and Tennis – Children will have the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of sports from professional athletes

18) Hop To It! – A non-stop dance station at the White House complete with hula hoops and dance workshops

19) Eggspress Yourself – an arts and crafts area where children can do everything from egg dying to making “Medals of Eggsellence” to spend the day looking like Olympians

20) The White House Easter Egg classics will also be back this year. These activities include the Egg Hunt, the Storytime Stage and, of course, the traditional Easter Egg Roll

21) The Egg Roll is accessible to children in wheelchairs with the addition of wheelchair matting

22) Books that will be read on the Storytime Stage were checked out from DC public libraries. And they will all be returned on time!

23) Don’t worry, sweets are still a part of the Easter Egg Roll. This year’s goody bags will include Hershey’s chocolates and Peeps

History

24) The Easter Egg Roll is a White House tradition dating back to 1878 and President Rutherford B. Hayes, but there are records of informal egg rolling events as early as Abraham Lincoln’s administration

25) After the Civil War, egg rolling often took place on the Capitol building’s grounds. But by 1876, Congressmen grew tired of the torn up grounds and rowdy crowds and passed a law prohibiting the use of the Capitol Grounds as a play area

26) On Easter day in 1878, when the ban on egg rolling at the Capitol was enforced, some claim that President Hayes saw tearful children while riding by the Capitol Grounds in his carriage and invited them to play on the White House lawn

27) By 1899, the White House Easter Egg Roll had become quite popular, with over 8,000 people in attendance. This year, 30,000 were invited to attend the event

28) The Easter Egg Roll has been held at the White House every year except during World War I, World War II and the Truman Renovation of the White House, when it was moved to other Washington locations or cancelled

29) President Ronald Reagan was the first President to hide autographed eggs for children to find in the Egg Hunt

30) President Nixon and First Lady Pat Nixon were the first to include the White House Easter Bunny in the festivities

31) President George H.W. Bush and First Lady Barbara Bush were the first to affix the signature of the President and First Lady to the commemorative egg

32) First Lady Grace Coolidge was known for her love of pets, but none were more famous than her pet raccoon, Rebecca, who made an appearance at the White House Easter Egg Roll in the 1920’s

Easter Bunny and Ceremony

33) The First Lady is the official host of the White House Easter Egg Roll

34) The event cannot officially be called the White House Easter Egg Roll until the opening ceremony begins and the Easter Egg Bunny makes an appearance

Poster Contest

35) The White House held a local poster competition and invited DC, Maryland and Virginia schools to submit their ideas. Submissions came in from 44 area schools

36) The First Lady selected the winning designs

37) This year’s co-winners are siblings. The program cover was designed by Kayleigh Geibel, a third grader at Dayton Oaks Elementary School. The other co-winner is Devin Geibel, a fifth grader from Dayton Oaks Elementary. Devin’s artwork serves as the 2010 Official Easter Egg Roll Poster. Dayton Oaks Elementary school is located in Howard County, MD

38) Kayleigh and Devin will be attending the White House Easter Egg Roll, along with their classes and teachers

Sustainability

39) All goody bags are made from 100% recycled plastic

40) The goody bags will include a brochure on healthy eating

41) The packaging of the eggs, made from recyclable paperboard, was designed to minimize waste and environmental impact

42) For the second year in a row, the souvenir egg is made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) – certified, U.S. hardwood

43) Recycling bins will be placed throughout the South Lawn and the Ellipse

44) Many of the fruits and vegetables for this year’s event were organically grown

45) Food scraps from the Play with Your Food station will be composted – a first for the Easter Egg Roll

Volunteers

46) 7 American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and 6 nurses will volunteer at this year’s event

47) The White House Easter Egg Roll is made possible by the hard work of close to 1,200 volunteers

48) All volunteers attended at least one training session and some traveled from as far away as Texas to be part of this year’s event

49) Volunteers come from the White House, the Administration and interested citizens from across the DC metro area or beyond

50) Many volunteers will arrive for their shifts as early as 5:00 AM to help get the Easter Egg Roll rolling!

###

From the Bureau of Labor Statistics on the March jobless rate released Friday morning–unchanged at 9.7 percent:

“Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 162,000 in March, and the unemployment rate held at 9.7 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.Temporary help services and health care continued to add jobs over the month. Employment in federal government also rose, reflecting the hiring of temporary workers for Census 2010. Employment continued to decline in financial activities and in information.”

Below, from the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics

THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION — MARCH 2010

Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 162,000 in March, and the unemployment
rate held at 9.7 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.
Temporary help services and health care continued to add jobs over the month.
Employment in federal government also rose, reflecting the hiring of temporary
workers for Census 2010. Employment continued to decline in financial activi-
ties and in information.

Household Survey Data

In March, the number of unemployed persons was little changed at 15.0 million,
and the unemployment rate remained at 9.7 percent. (See table A-1.)

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (10.0 per-
cent), adult women (8.0 percent), teenagers (26.1 percent), whites (8.8 per-
cent), blacks (16.5 percent), and Hispanics (12.6 percent) showed little or no
change in March. The jobless rate for Asians was 7.5 percent, not seasonally
adjusted. (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)

The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks and over) in-
creased by 414,000 over the month to 6.5 million. In March, 44.1 percent of
unemployed persons were jobless for 27 weeks or more. (See table A-12.)

The civilian labor force participation rate (64.9 percent) and the employment-
population ratio (58.6 percent) continued to edge up in March. (See table A-1.)

The number of persons working part time for economic reasons (sometimes re-
ferred to as involuntary part-time workers) increased to 9.1 million in March.
These individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back
or because they were unable to find a full-time job. (See table A-8.)

About 2.3 million persons were marginally attached to the labor force in March,
compared with 2.1 million a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.)
These individuals were not in the labor force, wanted and were available for
work, and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months. They were not
counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the 4 weeks pre-
ceding the survey. (See table A-16.)

Among the marginally attached, there were 1.0 million discouraged workers in
March, up by 309,000 from a year earlier. (The data are not seasonally adjusted.)
Discouraged workers are persons not currently looking for work because they be-
lieve no jobs are available for them. The remaining 1.3 million persons margin-
ally attached to the labor force had not searched for work in the 4 weeks pre-
ceding the survey for reasons such as school attendance or family responsibili-
ties. (See table A-16.)

Establishment Survey Data

In March, nonfarm payroll employment rose by 162,000. Job growth continued in tem-
porary help services and in health care. Federal government employment increased
due to the hiring of temporary workers for Census 2010. Job losses continued in
financial activities and in information. (See table B-1.)

Temporary help services added 40,000 jobs in March. Since September 2009, tempor-
ary help services employment has risen by 313,000.

Employment in health care continued to increase in March (27,000), with the larg-
est gains occurring in ambulatory health care services (16,000) and in nursing and
residential care facilities (9,000).

In March, employment in mining increased by 8,000. Monthly job gains in mining
have averaged 6,000 over the past 5 months.

Employment in federal government was up over the month, reflecting the hiring of
48,000 temporary workers for the decennial census.

Manufacturing employment continued to trend up in March (17,000); the industry has
added 45,000 jobs in the first 3 months of 2010. Over the month, job gains were
concentrated in fabricated metal products (9,000) and in machinery (6,000).

Employment in construction held steady (15,000) in March. The industry had lost an
average of 72,000 jobs per month in the prior 12 months.

Over the month, employment changed little in transportation and warehousing,
leisure and hospitality, retail trade, and wholesale trade.

In March, financial activities shed 21,000 jobs, with the largest losses occur-
ring in insurance carriers and related activities (-9,000). Employment in the
information industry decreased by 12,000.

The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls was up by
0.1 hour to 34.0 hours in March. The manufacturing workweek for all employees
increased by 0.2 hour to 39.9 hours, and factory overtime was up by 0.1 hour
over the month. In March, the average workweek for production and nonsuper-
visory employees on private nonfarm payrolls increased by 0.2 hour to 33.3
hours. (See tables B-2 and B-7.)

In March, average hourly earnings of all employees on private nonfarm payrolls
fell by 2 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $22.47, following a 4-cent gain in February.
Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have risen by 1.8 percent. In
March, average hourly earnings of private production and nonsupervisory employ-
ees fell by 2 cents, or 0.1 percent, to $18.90. (See tables B-3 and B-8.)

The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for January was revised from
-26,000 to +14,000, and the change for February was revised from -36,000 to
-14,000.

____________
The Employment Situation for April is scheduled to be released on Friday,
May 7, 2010, at 8:30 a.m. (EDT).

* Employment Situation Summary Table A. Household data, seasonally adjusted
* Employment Situation Summary Table B. Establishment data, seasonally adjusted
* Employment Situation Frequently Asked Questions
* Employment Situation Technical Note
* Table A-1. Employment status of the civilian population by sex and age
* Table A-2. Employment status of the civilian population by race, sex, and age
* Table A-3. Employment status of the Hispanic or Latino population by sex and age
* Table A-4. Employment status of the civilian population 25 years and over by educational attainment
* Table A-5. Employment status of the civilian population 18 years and over by veteran status, period of service, and sex, not seasonally adjusted
* Table A-6. Employment status of the civilian population by sex, age, and disability status, not seasonally adjusted
* Table A-7. Employment status of the civilian population by nativity and sex, not seasonally adjusted
* Table A-8. Employed persons by class of worker and part-time status
* Table A-9. Selected employment indicators
* Table A-10. Selected unemployment indicators, seasonally adjusted
* Table A-11. Unemployed persons by reason for unemployment
* Table A-12. Unemployed persons by duration of unemployment
* Table A-13. Employed and unemployed persons by occupation, not seasonally adjusted
* Table A-14. Unemployed persons by industry and class of worker, not seasonally adjusted
* Table A-15. Alternative measures of labor underutilization
* Table A-16. Persons not in the labor force and multiple jobholders by sex, not seasonally adjusted
* Table B-1. Employees on nonfarm payrolls by industry sector and selected industry detail
* Table B-2. Average weekly hours and overtime of all employees on private nonfarm payrolls by industry sector, seasonally adjusted
* Table B-3. Average hourly and weekly earnings of all employees on private nonfarm payrolls by industry sector, seasonally adjusted
* Table B-4. Indexes of aggregate weekly hours and payrolls for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls by industry sector, seasonally adjusted
* Table B-5. Employment of women on nonfarm payrolls by industry sector, seasonally adjusted
* Table B-6. Employment of production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls by industry sector, seasonally adjusted(1)
* Table B-7. Average weekly hours and overtime of production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls by industry sector, seasonally adjusted(1)
* Table B-8. Average hourly and weekly earnings of production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls by industry sector, seasonally adjusted(1)
* Table B-9. Indexes of aggregate weekly hours and payrolls for production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls by industry sector, seasonally adjusted(1)

* Access to historical data for the “A” tables of the Employment Situation Release
* Access to historical data for the “B” tables of the Employment Situation Release
* HTML version of the entire news release

The PDF version of the news release
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Last Modified Date: April 02, 2010

WASHINGTON–New White House Social Secretary Julianna Smoot’s first big event is Monday–the massive Easter Egg Hunt on the South Lawn of the White House. Smoot was spotted Wednesday at the planting of the White House Garden with First Lady Michelle Obama.

She’s been on the job since March 22, taking over from now former Social Secretary Desiree Rogers. The first event of Smoot’s tenure was President Obama’s March 23 signing of the health care bill. The Social Office oversees every event in the White House, from bill signings to dinners and receptions.

Much of the planning for the Easter Egg Hunt–which brings thousands of people to the White House–was done under Rogers watch.

WASHINGTON–Arun Chaudhary, the official White House videographer, debuts Friday a new feature over at www.whitehouse.gov “West Wing Week,” complete with never before seen behind-the-scene clips and even a PSA by Ray LaHood, the Transportation Secretary