Expectations heading into this week showed projections of about 170,000 new jobs having been added in the United States in February. As it turns out, according to the new report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the total fell a little short of expectations. NBC News reported:
The United States added 151,000 jobs in February as employers in a range of industries continued making hires, while the federal government slashed its workforce by 10,000. The fresh employment data reported Friday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics missed expectations for 170,000 new roles, but last month’s job gains exceeded the revised 125,000 posted in January.
The nation’s unemployment rate also inched a little higher, climbing from 4% to 4.1%.
After some amazing jobs reports in the closing months of 2024, the tallies from January and February might seem a bit of a letdown, but all things considered, the latest data isn’t bad. And any time the nation’s unemployment rate is around 4%, it’s tough to complain.
That said, as a political matter, the numbers don’t do Donald Trump any favors. The president, whose job totals in his first term were easily eclipsed by Joe Biden’s totals, spent the final months of 2024 insisting that he deserved credit for the good news in the employment market. As the Republican argued, employers were so excited about his glorious return to the White House and the economic nirvana he’d create upon reclaiming power, that they’d already started hiring quickly.
That never made any sense, and the short-of-expectations totals from January and February make his claims look even worse. This post updates our related earlier coverage.
Steve Benen is a producer for "The Rachel Maddow Show," the editor of MaddowBlog and an MS NOW political contributor. He's also the bestselling author of "Ministry of Truth: Democracy, Reality, and the Republicans' War on the Recent Past."
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