WASHINGTON. Apr 3: Ame rM a s economic recovery has not been strong enough lo boost March jobless rate which remained unchanged at seven per cent, handing President Bill Clinton more ammunition for his jobs creation bill, re ports AFP

There were 8 9 million people left jobless in March the same as In February, and the total labour force was 127 4 rmIHon. up by 200.000. according lo the labour de partment s Friday report

The report will strengthen Clinton a hand when he presses Congress lo pass his 16 3 bllftou dollar jobs-ere •non bill that Republicans have argued Is unnecessary because economic recovery and job growth were underway

Business payrolls showed that March employment fell by 22,000 from February, erasing gains made the previous month when payrolls jumped by 367,000, the labour department said.

Analysis had been expecting at ICast 100,000 more jobs to be created in March.

Robert Dederlck. chief economist at the northern trust co. In Chicago, said Ihc March report was a correction of February a unexpectedly large gain in employment and that taken together, they reflect modes) Improvement

The basic message Is threat employment Is rising, although in certainly Is not recovering at anything like a conventional

post rcccaaion rise, he said

In the last quarter of 1992, the US economy created some I 53.000 jobs, or about half of tin usual job generation in post recession periods since World War II.

William Barron, deputy commissioner of the labour de partment s bureau of labour statistics, said the March fig urea showed little evidence of a strengthening job market.

While we have seen slow but steady declines in unemploy ■nent between June and February, joblessness remains well above pre recession lev els. he said, nothing (hat before the recession began In 1990 the jobless rate was around five per cent..