Heidi Shierholz, labor market expert with the Economic Policy Institute, said the increase might also be influenced by “artificially low” jobless claims in January and February, as the unseasonably warm weather gave the job market a temporary boost.

As a result, Shierholz said it would be most accurate to characterize the job market as being in a “rocky recovery.”

“This sheds even more doubt on whether we’ve entered a robust, self-sustaining job recovery,” she said.