Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 311,000 in February, and the unemployment rate edged up to 3.6 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Notable job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality, retail trade, government, and health care. Employment declined in information and in transportation and warehousing. This news release presents statistics from two monthly surveys. The household survey measures labor force status, including unemployment, by demographic characteristics. The establishment survey measures nonfarm employment, hours, and earnings by industry. For more information about the ... (full story)

The U.S. economy added 311,000 jobs in February, the Labor Department said on Friday, continuing a hot hiring streak that has underpinned the country's tight labor market. The unemployment rate edged up to 3.6%, still historically low. Why it matters: Employers continued to add workers to payrolls at a very quick pace — despite months of rising interest rates meant to cool that demand. By the numbers: The unemployment rate bumped up to 3.6% from 3.4%, as layoffs tick up. • The payrolls report showed that the economy added 504,000 jobs in January, 13,000 fewer than the originally reported figure. Meanwhile, gains were ... (full story)