The February jobs report has been released by the U.S. Department of Labor, and the numbers have shocked economists.
With 311,000 jobs added in January alone, February whimpered in comparison. A measly 20,000 jobs were added last month falling way below predictions. According to CNBC, “it was the worst month for job creation since September 2017, when two major hurricanes hit the employment market.” Meanwhile, the construction industry, which saw huge growth last month, lost 31,000 jobs.
Painting a clear picture of the current state of the economy has proven to be difficult this quarter mostly due to the aftereffects of the partial government shutdown, but economists are hopeful that it’s just first quarter hiccups. However, that isn’t to say it’s all bad news. An increase in private sector wages offset the slow down in jobs growth.
Check out the full February Jobs Report below: