The February jobs numbers are coming out Friday. Here's what to expect
#jobs report #February employment #unemployment rate #Federal Reserve #economic data #labor market
📌 Key Takeaways
- February U.S. jobs report to be released Friday
- Economists forecast job growth to slow from January's strong gains
- Unemployment rate expected to remain near historic lows
- Report will influence Federal Reserve's interest rate decisions
📖 Full Retelling
Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expect payroll growth of 50,000, following January's surprisingly high 130,000.
🏷️ Themes
Employment, Economy
📚 Related People & Topics
Federal Reserve
Central banking system of the US
The Federal Reserve System (often shortened to the Federal Reserve, or simply the Fed) is the central banking system of the United States. It was created on December 23, 1913, with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, after a series of financial panics (particularly the panic of 1907) led to th...
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Interest rate
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Jerome Powell
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Original Source
The 2025 labor market has been generously described as "unstable," with virtually no jobs growth and a slew of headwinds expected to conspire against it. In 2026, though, the buzzword seems to be "stable," even though conditions seem to be largely the same. The picture continues to be of a low-hire, low-fire climate , where companies are both reticent to lay off employees as demand continues to be strong, but also are leery of adding staff amid uncertainty over tariffs, inflation and geopolitics. However, characterizations coming from Federal Reserve officials and market economists have grown at least a bit more optimistic — stressing the stability, if not the robustness, of the labor market. The difference between this year and last? Expectations. A prevailing belief is that with the clampdown on immigration and other factors holding back labor pool growth, a subdued hiring rate is fine — at least for now — and the current pace of job growth is adequate and even expected. "We've actually been getting signs of the U.S. labor market showing some stability," Claudia Sahm, chief economist at New Century Advisors, said in a recent CNBC interview. Sahm, author of the oft-cited "Sahm Rule" that uses changes in the unemployment rate to forecast recessions, added that there's a need to "be very watchful" as "the fact that the hiring rate is so low does make us vulnerable." "We've actually got some good news as we came into the year in the labor market. But we do need to see the hiring rate pick up," she added. "That has been kind of a mystery, how low hiring is given the fact that the U.S. economy is expanding." watch now VIDEO 3:46 03:46 AI will leverage human capital, not displace it: MetLife’s Drew Matus Money Movers More clues on where the employment picture is headed will come Friday when the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its monthly nonfarm payrolls report for February at 8:30 a.m. ET. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones expect payroll growth of 50,000, following J...
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