By Andrew Rice
The Center Square

The U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, a significant cut after January saw a better-than-expected report, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The unemployment rate remained steady at 4.4%. The rate only marginally increased from its 4.3% rate in January. Interestingly, health care employment decreased in February, reflecting a rare instance that the BLS attributed to strike activity. Over the past several weeks in California, thousands of nurses went on strike to protest pay, working conditions and staffing.

Additionally, a nurses strike in New York City may have had additional effects on the health care sector, which typically drives most job growth in the report. Overall, the health-care sector lost 28,000 in February after adding 77,000 in January.

Over the past 12 months, the health care industry has added roughly 36,000 jobs per month.

Employment in the information and federal government sectors trended down in February as well. Jobs in the information sector decreased by 11,000 in February.

Federal government jobs continued to decrease in February with a loss of 10,000. Since October 2024, federal government employment has decreased by 330,000.

Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal, described February’s report as “dismal.” She said, overall, the U.S. economy has lost jobs since April 2025 based on the February report.

She estimated jobs from May 2025 to February 2026 decreased by 19,000.

“Companies are not hiring in the face of all these headwinds and uncertainty,” Long wrote on social media. “Even healthcare is starting to slow down.”

Social assistance employment was one of the few sectors to see an increase during the month of February. The sector saw an increase of 9,000 jobs, largely driven by a 12,000 job increase from the individual and family services sector.

Nearly all major employment sectors lost jobs in February. The hospitality sector lost 27,000 jobs; manufacturing lost 12,000 jobs; and the construction sector lost 11,000 jobs.