Benchmark revisions cut U.S. payrolls level

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. employers had 284,000 fewer workers on payrolls than originally thought in March and employment gains in eight months last year were smaller than previously reported, following annual benchmark revisions.

Once a year, the Labor Department reconciles its payroll survey with tax records to help provide a new benchmark for employment levels. Based on the new data, the department revised seasonally adjusted payroll employment data from January 1990 to December 2007.

Average monthly employment gains last year totaled only 95,000, compared with the previously reported 111,000, according to the new data.

While December payroll gains were revised higher to 82,000 from the previous gain of 18,000, both November and October increases were revised lower. November was revised to show a gain of only 60,000 from the previously reported 115,000, while October was revised down to 140,000 from 159,000.

(Reporting by Neil Stempleman; Editing by Tom Hals)