WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that 92,000 jobs were lost in February, just one month after an encouraging increase in January. The overall unemployment rate rose to 4.4% in February from 4.3% in January. Analysts report that severe winter storms in late January and throughout February helped suppress hiring and negatively impacted the overall numbers.
The unemployment rate for women remained the same at 4.1%. The drop in jobs had a bigger effect on men, whose unemployment rate rose to 4.0% from 3.8% in January. Overall labor force participation fell slightly to 62.0% in February from 62.1% in January.
The overall decrease in labor force participation differs slightly from women’s labor force participation, which remained the same at 57.2% in February. Meanwhile, men’s labor force participation fell to 67.2% from 67.3% in January. Both rates for men and women are still below pre-pandemic levels.
February saw the biggest decrease in leisure and hospitality, healthcare, and manufacturing jobs. Offices of physicians lost 37,000 jobs in February, reflecting strike activity that contributed more than a third of all job losses. This was partially offset by employment gains in the wholesale trade and financial activities. Federal employment lost 10,000 jobs in February (following a decline of 29,000 in January), totaling 314,000 federal government jobs declining since February 2025.
The University of Michigan’s gauge of consumer sentiment rose slightly to 56.6 in February, up from 56.4 in the prior month. February’s sentiment marked the fourth straight gain and the highest level of sentiment since August 2025.
Carrie Sheffield, senior policy analyst at Independent Women’s Center for Economic Opportunity, issued the following statement:
“America’s challenging labor market in February is a concerning sign for economic policymakers after a strong showing in January, which had few downward revisions. The 92,000 job loss in February might be an anomaly, but still signals a need for policymakers at all levels to prioritize rebuilding U.S. households’ financial strength amid affordability concerns.
“A major healthcare labor strike, combined with record snow blizzards slamming the United States (in some cases to levels not seen in more than 120 years) and especially the Northeast region, contributed to these losses.
“February’s softening labor market underscores the need for the Trump administration and Congress to continue to liberate the labor market through smart deregulation—especially President Trump’s powerful requirement that for every one regulation promulgated, 10 are removed. This frees up revenue for businesses to reinvest in their workforces by hiring or raising wages.
“We look forward to the continued progress toward tax and regulatory reforms that will enable job and wage growth, thanks to the Working Families Tax Cut in the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act.
“As February’s employment report shows, it is vital to continue these efforts to bolster job creation for American families in the months ahead.”
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