The U.S. economy lost jobs in February

Employers cut 92,000 positions last month

March 6, 2026

• U.S. employers cut 92,000 jobs in February, the first monthly decline in several months, while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.4%.

• Health care, information, and federal government saw notable job losses, with strike activity contributing to the drop in medical employment.

• Wages continued to rise, with average hourly earnings increasing 0.4% to $37.32, up 3.8% from a year earlier.

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U.S. job growth turned negative in February as payrolls slipped and several major sectors shed workers, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Total nonfarm payroll employment fell by 92,000 jobs in February, reversing some of the gains seen earlier in the year. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.4%, representing about 7.6 million unemployed Americans.

Employment in health care dropped by 28,000 jobs, largely because of strike activity affecting physicians offices, which alone lost 37,000 positions. Hospitals partially offset the decline by adding 12,000 jobs.

Even with Februarys losses, the sector has remained one of the stronger sources of job growth over the past year, averaging 36,000 new jobs per month.

Federal and information jobs continue downward trend

The information sector lost 11,000 jobs in February, continuing a longer-term decline in the industry. Over the past year, employment in the sector has fallen by an average of 5,000 jobs per month.

Federal government employment fell by another 10,000 jobs during the month. Since peaking in October 2024, federal employment has dropped by 330,000 jobs about 11% of the workforce.

Not all industries experienced declines. Social assistance added 9,000 jobs, driven largely by growth in individual and family services.

Meanwhile, transportation and warehousing employment was little changed overall, though job losses among couriers and messengers offset gains in air transportation.

Most other major sectors including construction, manufacturing, retail trade, financial services, and leisure and hospitality saw little change during the month.

 

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