The U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, the Labor Department reported March 6, raising new concerns amid tariffs and the disastrous Iran war. The unemployment rate rose to 4.4%. Making the impact worse, employment totals for the months of December 2025 and January 2026 were revised down respectively by 31,000 and 4,000 jobs, for a net loss of 127,000 jobs against total employment.
The losses hit nearly every major sector: manufacturing down 12,000, construction 11,000, and health care 19,000. That last figure matters: Health care has been a major factor of growth in the labor market for years.
