The February jobs report revealed few surprises for investors, with 151,000 new jobs created despite expectations of 160,000. The unemployment rate rose to 4.1%, up from 3.9% in January.
Federal government employment declined by 10,000 in February, while the labor force participation rate fell to 62.4%. Wage growth, an important measure for gauging inflation pressures, increased 0.3% in February, down from 0.4% in January.
Despite mixed signals, experts believe the labor market remains stable and can weather the impact of government job cuts. However, investors remain cautious amid ongoing economic uncertainty and market volatility.
Market bets on Federal Reserve interest cuts remain unchanged, with investors pricing in three rate cuts for this year. The Nasdaq Composite entered a correction, while the S&P 500 closed at its lowest level of the year, following weaker-than-expected economic data and tariff headlines from President Trump.
Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/february-jobs-report-us-labor-market-adds-151000-jobs-unemployment-rate-ticks-up-to-41-205159005.html