Private employers added 63,000 jobs in February, marking the strongest monthly increase since mid‑2025 and reversing a weak start to the year. Most of the growth came from education and health services, while construction also expanded and manufacturing continued to lose positions. The report arrives just ahead of the official federal jobs release, with economists expecting overall hiring to slow and unemployment to remain at 4.3%. With the labor market steadying despite tariff‑driven uncertainty and inflation still elevated, the data reinforces expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged at its upcoming meeting.
See "US private payrolls post largest increase in seven months in February", Staff, Reuters, March 4, 2026