U.S. Sheds 92,000 Jobs in February, Unemployment Rate Rises to 4.4%

After adding 126,000 jobs in January, the U.S. economy shed 92,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in February 2026, with the unemployment rate holding at 4.4% and 7.6 million people out of work, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Health care lost 28,000 jobs, while hospitals added 12,000. Federal government employment fell 10,000, bringing total losses to 330,000 since its October 2024 peak. Information shed 11,000 jobs, and transportation and warehousing dropped by 11,000. Social assistance gained 9,000. Average hourly earnings rose by 15 cents, or 0.4%, to $37.32, up 3.8% over the past year. The average workweek held at 34.3 hours. Long-term unemployment reached 1.9 million, accounting for 25.3% of all unemployed. December payrolls were revised down 65,000 to -17,000, and January was revised down 4,000 to 126,000, leaving combined employment 69,000 lower than previously reported.