In February 2025, U.S. employers added 151,000 jobs, falling slightly below economists’ expectations of 160,000 new jobs.
Positive trends in employment came with particular growth in healthcare, finance, and the transportation and warehousing sectors.
The big picture: Despite job growth, the unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.1%, adding 203,000 jobless Americans.
- Notably, the federal government shed 10,000 jobs, the most significant drop since June 2022, although the full impact of federal layoffs is expected to be reflected in the March jobs report.
- The unemployment rise is attributed to specific sectors such as restaurants and bars, which cut nearly 28,000 jobs in February in addition to the loss of almost 30,000 jobs in January.
