US job market grows amid threats of mass federal layoffs and Trump tariffs

151,000 jobs added to economy in February, up from January as unemployment unchanged from last month

The US labor market continued to grow in February even as threats of mass layoffs in the federal government and uncertainty around Donald Trump's tariff policies rattle the US economy.

In February, 151,000 jobs were added to the economy, up from an adjusted 125,000 jobs gained in January. The unemployment rate was 4.1%, little changed from 4% in January. Economists had been expecting 170,000 new jobs to be added over the month.