WASHINGTON: U.S. employers cut 92,000 jobs in February, an unexpected decline that pushed the unemployment rate up to 4.4%, according to the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. January payroll growth was revised down to a gain of 126,000, while December was revised to a loss of 17,000. The report combined data from the establishment survey of employers and the household survey of workers, and it incorporated annual population adjustments to the household estimates for January and February.
The number of unemployed people stood at 7.6 million in February, little changed on the month, while joblessness among major demographic groups showed limited movement. The labor force participation rate was 62.0% and the employment-population ratio was 59.3%, both little changed in February. Long-term unemployment, defined as being jobless for 27 weeks or more, was 1.9 million, up from 1.5 million a year earlier, and it accounted for 25.3% of all unemployed people.
In measures of underemployment, the number of people working part time for economic reasons fell by 477,000 to 4.4 million. Those not in the labor force who currently want a job were 6.0 million. Within that group, people marginally attached to the labor force were 1.6 million, little changed, while discouraged workers fell by 109,000 to 366,000. The bureau noted that annual population-control adjustments affected January household estimates and were reflected in January and February figures.
Industry And Wage Details
Health care payrolls fell by 28,000 in February after a large January increase, with offices of physicians down 37,000, primarily due to strike activity, while hospitals added 12,000. Employment in information declined by 11,000, continuing a downward trend, and federal government employment fell by 10,000. The bureau said federal government payrolls are down by 330,000, or 11.0%, since peaking in October 2024.
Elsewhere, social assistance added 9,000 jobs, driven by a 12,000 increase in individual and family services. Transportation and warehousing employment was down 11,000, reflecting a 17,000 decline in couriers and messengers that was partly offset by a 5,000 gain in air transportation. The bureau said transportation and warehousing employment has declined by 157,000, or 2.4%, since reaching a peak in February 2025, while other major industries showed little net change in February.
Hours And Revisions
Average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 15 cents, or 0.4%, to $37.32 in February and were up 3.8% from a year earlier. For private-sector production and nonsupervisory employees, average hourly earnings increased by 9 cents, or 0.3%, to $32.03. The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls held at 34.3 hours; in manufacturing it edged down by 0.1 hour to 40.1 hours, while overtime was unchanged at 3.0 hours.
The report’s revisions lowered earlier employment estimates, with December revised down by 65,000 and January revised down by 4,000. In its summary, the bureau said payroll employment changed little on net in 2025, underscoring a slowdown relative to periods of stronger job growth. The February decline in payrolls followed January’s gain and was driven in part by losses tied to strike activity in health care, alongside continued reductions in information and federal government employment. – By Content Syndication Services.