Economy adds 273K jobs in February, crushing expectations amid coronavirus worries
By Sylvan Lane - 03/06/20 08:33 AM EST
The U.S. added 273,000 jobs in February, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department, blowing past expectations ahead of a feared coronavirus economic slump.
The unemployment rate ticked down 0.1 percentage points to 3.5 percent while the labor force participation rate held steady at 63.4 percent. February’s job gain comes after an upwardly revised increase of 273,000 jobs in January and 184,000 in December, according to updated figures released Friday.
Economists had projected the U.S. to add roughly 170,000 jobs in February as unseasonably warm weather and resilient consumer confidence supported a sturdy job market. The strong February jobs report indicates a greater level of strength in a labor market that has steadily added jobs for more than a decade.
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https://thehill.com/policy/finance/486255-february-jobs-report-labor-bureau-economy
