Commissioner's Statement on the Employment Situation News Release — 2020-03-06

Advance copies of this statement are made available to the press under lock-up conditions with the explicit understanding that the data are embargoed until 8:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. Nonfarm payroll employment rose by 273,000 in February, and the unemployment rate was little changed at 3.5 percent. Notable employment gains occurred in health care and social assistance, food services and drinking places, government, construction, professional and technical services, and financial activities. Incorporating revisions for December and January, which increased payroll employment by 85,000, monthly job gains have averaged 243,000 over the past 3 months. Employment rose by 57,000 in health care and social assistance in February. Health care employment increased by 32,000, with gains in offices of physicians (+10,000), home health care services (+10,000), and hospitals (+8,000). Employment in social assistance increased by 25,000, mostly within individual and family services (+18,000).