US Economy Adds Better-Than-Expected 275,000 New Jobs, Unemployment Rate Rises

Government and health care were the top job creators in February; more revisions recorded.

A hiring sign is displayed at a retail store in Vernon Hills, Ill., on Aug. 31, 2023. Nam Y. Huh/AP Photo

The U.S. economy added a larger-than-expected number of new jobs at 275,000 in February as the labor market continues to defy economists’ expectations of a slowing market.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the unemployment rate rose to 3.9 percent last month, up from 3.7 percent in January. This was higher than market forecasts of 3.7 percent.