US Employment Situation
February 2026
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Last update:Total nonfarm payroll employment varied by February 2026 in -92,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
| December 2025 | January 2026 | February 2026 | |
| total | 158,432,000 | 158,558,000 | 158,466,000 |
| total monthly variation | +24,000 | +126,000 | -92,000 |
| annual variation | +116,000 | +290,000 | +156,000 |
| annual percentage variation | +0.07% | +0.18% | +0.10% |
The unemployment rate in US was 4.40% in February 2026, a +0.1 percentage points variation compared with the previous month, and +0.2 percentage points compared the previous year:
nonfarm employment total monthly variation
The following chart and table show annual percentage variation data by industry sectors:
retail tradeleisure and hospitalityresidential building constructiontruck transportation
annual percentage variation by sectorShaded area = recession
| December 2025 | January 2026 | February 2026 | |
| accommodation | -0.30% | -0.86% | -0.84% |
| construction | -0.05% | +0.68% | +0.51% |
| durable goods | -0.99% | -0.67% | -0.74% |
| financial activities | +0.08% | -0.34% | -0.36% |
| government | -0.77% | -0.97% | -1.00% |
| information | -1.83% | -1.88% | -2.23% |
| leisure and hospitality | +0.59% | +0.70% | +0.75% |
| manufacturing | -0.89% | -0.69% | -0.77% |
| mining and logging | -2.89% | -3.22% | -3.54% |
| nondurable goods | -0.73% | -0.73% | -0.83% |
| private education and health services | +2.53% | +2.78% | +2.43% |
| residential building construction | -1.34% | -1.10% | -0.50% |
| retail trade | -0.30% | -0.23% | -0.10% |
| service providing | +0.18% | +0.25% | +0.17% |
| total nonfarm | +0.07% | +0.18% | +0.10% |
| total private | +0.22% | +0.38% | +0.29% |
| trade transportation and utilities | -0.68% | -0.62% | -0.66% |
| transportation and warehousing | -1.62% | -1.83% | -2.35% |
| truck transportation | -1.85% | -2.02% | -1.69% |