April 18 (Bloomberg) — Payrolls climbed in 34 U.S. states in March and unemployment rates fell in 21, showing the job market was making progress across much of the world's largest economy.

Florida led the nation with a 22,900 increase in payrolls, followed by North Carolina with 19,400 more jobs, figures from the Labor Department showed today in Washington. Ohio registered among the biggest declines in joblessness.

Gains in hiring will probably help lift consumer confidence and spur household spending, which accounts for almost 70 percent of the economy. The Federal Reserve, in its latest Beige Book review of regional conditions, said the labor market was "generally positive."

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