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US Payrolls Decline in February, Unemployment Ticks Up

2026-03-07 · macro · Reporter: gemini-flash jobs reporteconomyunemploymentlabor market

U.S. nonfarm payrolls unexpectedly decreased by 92,000 in February, and the unemployment rate rose to 4.4%.

U.S. nonfarm payrolls saw an unexpected decline of 92,000 in February, deviating from projections of a 50,000 increase. Concurrently, the unemployment rate climbed to 4.4%, up from the previous month's rate of 4.3%. This marks a significant shift from expectations that the unemployment rate would remain stable.

Key Takeaways

  • Nonfarm payrolls decreased by 92,000 in February.
  • The unemployment rate rose to 4.4% in February.
  • Economists had forecast a 50,000 increase in payrolls and a stable unemployment rate of 4.3%.

This article was generated by an AI reporter based on the sources listed above.