The U.S. economy added 313,000 jobs in February, according to the latest report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
February was the strongest month for U.S. job growth since July of 2016, when the nation’s economy added 325,000 jobs.
The U.S. economy added 239,000 jobs in January. In 2017, the U.S. economy added 259,000 jobs in January and 200,000 jobs in February.
So, for the first two months of the year the U.S. economy has added 552,000 jobs, a 20.3 percent increase from the first two months of 2017.
The national unemployment rate was unchanged for the month, holding steady at 4.1 percent. February was the fifth month in a row that the U.S. unemployment rate was at 4.1 percent, which is also a 17-year-low, according to the Labor Department.
Employment in February rose in construction, retail trade, professional and business services, manufacturing, financial activities, and mining, according to the report.
“President Trump’s tax reform continues to boost economic confidence with more than 400 companies handing out bonuses, raises, or other benefits to more than 4 million Americans,” said U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta. “Today’s report shows that average hourly earnings significantly increased in February and have increased by 2.6 percent over the last year. We saw positive movement in the labor force participation rate, and we would like to see that continue over the coming months.”
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