National Jobs Report

February 2019 Admin, Healthcare and Transportation Jobs Report

Real time jobs report data summary. Figures are based on the latest data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS.gov). All jobs numbers are for non-farm employment.

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Total Jobs Added

+20,000
  • Month Over Month: 0.0%
  • 3 Month Average: 186,000
  • Year Over Year: +1.7%

Unemployment Rate

3.8%
  • Month Over Month: -0.2%
  • 3 Month Average: 3.9%
  • Year Over Year: -0.3%

+20,000 jobs in February

National Unemployment Rate

Furloughed workers from the government shutdown and layoffs from big retailers seem to be contributing factors for this month’s jobs report.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, total non-farm payroll had little change in February with only 20,000 jobs added. While this is the lowest jobs growth since September 2017, employment in professional, business services, health care and wholesale trade continued to trend upward.

As fewer unemployed people were looking for work, the unemployment rate fell to 3.8 percent. Average hourly earnings rose by .4 percent, bringing the year-over-year gain to 3.4 percent. The strongest since 2009. Rising wage growth is good for workers, but combined with soft payroll growth, Carl Tannenbaum chief economist of Northern Trust in Chicago said, “it’s a signal we need to be cautious with the U.S. economic outlook.”

Analysts cautioned that the weakness in February non-farm payrolls may not carry over after future revisions. “The soft payroll is not indicative of the trend, but strong [average hourly earnings] is,” Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomics wrote in a note Friday.

While February’s numbers were disappointing, it serves as a reminder that each monthly report captures just a moment in time. Longer-term trends are what matter, and the streak of job growth continues to set records.

U.S. Sector Job Growth from the B.L.S.

Professional & business services +42,000
  • Month over month: +0.2%
  • 3 Month Average: +21,278
  • Year over year: +2.6%
Trade, transportation, & utilities +2,000
  • Month over month: 0.0%
  • 3 Month Average: +27,825
  • Year over year: +1.0%
Education & health services +4,000
  • Month over month: 0.0%
  • 3 Month Average: +23,956
  • Year over year: +2.1%

U.S. Industry Job Growth from the B.L.S.

Administrative & support services +14,600
  • Month over month: +0.2%
  • 3 Month Average: +8,977
  • Year over year: +1.9%
Transportation & warehousing -3,000
  • Month over month: -0.1%
  • 3 Month Average: +5,530
  • Year over year: +3.6%
Health care +20,800
  • Month over month: +0.1%
  • 3 Month Average: +16,218
  • Year over year: +2.3%
Temporary help services +5,800
  • Month over month: +0.2%
  • 3 Month Average: +3,054
  • Year over year: +2.2%

U.S. Job Growth for All Sectors

BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov.

The BLS defines a sector as a subset of the domestic economy and excludes the economic activities of the following: general government, private households, and nonprofit organizations serving individuals. A sector consists of multiple industries.

The BLS defines an industry as a group of establishments that produce similar products or provide similar services. Multiple industries makeup sectors.

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