US Economy Sees 92,000 Unexpected Job Losses
The alarming reversal followed a downwardly revised addition of 126,000 positions in January, deepening concerns over the health of the American labor market.
"Employment in health care decreased, reflecting strike activity. Employment in information and federal government continued to trend down," the department said.
The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.4% — exceeding forecasts and edging above January's 4.3% reading — as the total number of unemployed Americans held at 7.6 million, which the Labor Department described as "changed little." The labor force participation rate remained at 62%, while the employment-to-population ratio held steady at 59.3%.
Health care bore the deepest wounds, shedding 28,000 positions after a robust 77,000-job surge in January. Physician offices alone lost 37,000 jobs, largely attributable to ongoing strike activity.
The information sector extended its prolonged slide, contracting by 11,000 jobs in February — consistent with an average monthly loss of 5,000 positions over the past year.
Federal government employment contracted by a further 10,000 roles, bringing total losses to 330,000 — an 11% decline — since the sector peaked in October 2024.
Not all sectors deteriorated. Social assistance added 9,000 jobs, fuelled by growth in individual and family services. Transportation and warehousing posted a modest net decline of 11,000, as losses among couriers and messengers were partially cushioned by gains in air transportation. The sector has nonetheless shed 157,000 jobs — or 2.4% of its workforce — since February 2025.
On the wages front, average hourly earnings for non-farm employees climbed 0.4% month-on-month to $37.32 in February, representing a 3.8% increase year-over-year.
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