US economy lost 92k jobs in February; unemployment rate 4.4%
The Bureau of Labor Statistics' Employment Situation report showed nonfarm payrolls fell by 92,000 in February 2026 and the unemployment rate was 4.4%. Average hourly earnings rose 0.4% on the month.
- Nonfarm payrolls −92k in February (seasonally adjusted, thousands of jobs)
- Unemployment rate 4.4% (from 4.3%)
- Average hourly earnings +0.4% on the month, +3.8% on the year
- January revised to +126k from +130k
SPX around the story · hourly24 h reaction ▼ 0.70%
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SPX−1.79%Mar 5 · Fell 1.8% on the day the February jobs report showed a loss of 92,000 jobs and a 4.4% unemployment rate, released at 8:30 a.m. ET. Amazon -2.7%, NVIDIA -2.3%, Ethereum -4.6%; gold rose 1.6%.SPY−1.60%Mar 5 · Fell 1.6% on the day the February jobs report showed a loss of 92,000 jobs and unemployment at 4.4%. The S&P 500 fell 1.8%, Bitcoin 3.9% and Ether 4.6%, while gold rose 1.6%.QQQ−1.60%Mar 5 · QQQ fell 1.60% and the S&P 500 fell 1.79% after a US jobs report showing a 92,000 drop in February payrolls. The same day crude jumped (WTI +12.89%, Brent +7.45%), extending the oil shock from the Strait of Hormuz disruption, which hit energy and rate-sensitive growth stocks alike (MU -5.95%, INTC -5.44%, HOOD -5.07%).Source
Bureau of Labor StatisticsMar 6, 2026, 8:30 AM ET