US economy unexpectedly sheds 92,000 jobs in February

The contraction came as a surprise with payrolls down in nearly every sector.

The U.S. economy lost 92,000 nonfarm jobs in February, with the unemployment rate rising to 4.4%, marking a significant decline from January's revised gain of 126,000 jobs. The health care sector led the losses, shedding 28,000 jobs due to strike activity at Kaiser Permanente facilities in California and Hawaii.

The U.S. job market shed 92,000 jobs in February, a sharp and unexpected setback after economists had forecast job growth. The unemployment rate ticked up to 4.4% from 4.3% in January. The decline was partly due to a drop in hiring in the health care sector, which lost 28,000 jobs, attributed to recent strike activity.

The U.S. economy unexpectedly shed jobs in February, with nonfarm payrolls decreasing by 92,000 and the unemployment rate increasing to 4.4%. The decline was nearly across the board, led by the healthcare sector, which lost 28,000 positions following a large increase in January. Employment at physicians’ offices dropped by 37,000 jobs, mostly reflecting a strike by 31,000 healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente and inclement weather.

In February 2026, the U.S. economy unexpectedly lost 92,000 jobs, marking the weakest month for payrolls since October. This decline defied economists' expectations, who had forecast a gain of around 50,000 jobs. Despite the job losses, the unemployment rate remained at 4.4%. The disappointing labor market performance contrasts with positive private sector indicators earlier in the week, which had suggested a recovery. Additionally, ongoing high inflation had previously hindered the possibility of interest rate cuts, but the newly released data may prompt a reevaluation of monetary policy.

The US economy unexpectedly shed jobs in February, marking a sharp reversal from the previous month and raising fresh concerns about the strength of the labour market. Data released by the US Labor Department on Friday showed the world’s largest economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, compared with job growth of 126,000 in January. The unemployment rate edged up to 4.4% from 4.3%, the report said. The decline in employment was largely driven by a drop in the healthcare sector, which was affected by strike activity during the month. 'Employment in information and federal government continued to trend down,' the Labor Department said. Economists had broadly expected a slowdown in job creation but not an outright contraction in employment, making the figures a surprise for markets.

The U.S. economy lost more jobs than expected in February as the unemployment rate ticked up, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday, after earlier data had pointed to a turnaround for the declining labor market.

The U.S. economy shed jobs unexpectedly in February as employers pulled back to start 2026 amid economic uncertainty. The Labor Department on Wednesday reported that employers shed 92,000 jobs in February, well below the expectations of economists polled by LSEG, who estimated the economy would add 59,000 jobs.

The US economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, Labor Department data released Friday showed, sharply missing economists' expectations and stalling the nascent hiring growth that started the year. The unemployment rate edged up to 4.4%, while the share of people who have been without work for 27 weeks or more as a percentage of all unemployed hit 25.3%.