The U.S. Labor Department has announced the unemployment rate for March as 5.5 percent, with employers adding 126,000 jobs. The jobless rate remained unchanged compared to February, but the jobs created fell short of the 248,000, which was in market forecasts.

U.S. employers added the fewest jobs in more than a year in March amid signs the economy was starting to take the strain from a strong dollar and lower oil prices, which could delay an anticipated interest rate increase from the Federal Reserve.

Nonfarm payrolls increased 126,000 last month, the smallest gain since December 2013, the Labor Department said on Friday.

The goods producing sector, which had been hurt by a strong dollar, shed 13,000 jobs last month, the largest drop since July 2013.