Transmission of material in this news release is embargoed until USDL-25-0296
8:30 a.m. (ET) Friday, March 7, 2025
Technical information:
Household data: (202) 691-6378 * cpsinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/cps
Establishment data: (202) 691-6555 * cesinfo@bls.gov * www.bls.gov/ces
Media contact: (202) 691-5902 * PressOffice@bls.gov
THE EMPLOYMENT SITUATION -- FEBRUARY 2025
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 151,000 in February, and the unemployment rate changed
little at 4.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment trended
up in health care, financial activities, transportation and warehousing, and social assistance.
Federal government employment declined.
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 concepts and statistical methodology used in these two surveys, see the Technical Note.
Household Survey Data
Both the unemployment rate, at 4.1 percent, and the number of unemployed people, at 7.1 million,
changed little in February. The unemployment rate has remained in a narrow range of 4.0 percent
to 4.2 percent since May 2024. (See table A-1.)
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rate for Whites (3.8 percent) increased in
February. The jobless rates for adult men (3.8 percent), adult women (3.8 percent), teenagers
(12.9 percent), Blacks (6.0 percent), Asians (3.2 percent), and Hispanics (5.2 percent) showed
little change over the month. (See tables A-1, A-2, and A-3.)
The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more), at 1.5 million,
changed little in February. The long-term unemployed accounted for 20.9 percent of all unemployed
people. (See table A-12.)
The employment-population ratio decreased by 0.2 percentage point to 59.9 percent in February
but showed little change from a year earlier. The labor force participation rate, at 62.4
percent, changed little over the month and over the year. (See table A-1.)
The number of people employed part time for economic reasons increased by 460,000 to 4.9 million
in February. These individuals would have preferred full-time employment but were working part
time because their hours had been reduced or they were unable to find full-time jobs. (See table
A-8.)
The number of people not in the labor force who currently want a job increased by 414,000 to
5.9 million in February. These individuals were not counted as unemployed because they were
not actively looking for work during the 4 weeks preceding the survey or were unavailable to
take a job. (See table A-1.)
Among those not in the labor force who wanted a job, the number of people marginally attached
to the labor force, at 1.7 million, changed little in February. These individuals wanted and
were available for work and had looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months but had not
looked for work in the 4 weeks preceding the survey. The number of discouraged workers, a
subset of the marginally attached who believed that no jobs were available for them, decreased
by 128,000 to 464,000 in February. (See Summary table A.)
Establishment Survey Data
Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 151,000 in February, similar to the average monthly
gain of 168,000 over the prior 12 months. In February, employment trended up in health care,
financial activities, transportation and warehousing, and social assistance. Federal government
employment declined. (See table B-1.)
Health care added 52,000 jobs in February, in line with the average monthly gain of 54,000 over
the prior 12 months. In February, job growth continued in ambulatory health care services
(+26,000), hospitals (+15,000), and nursing and residential care facilities (+12,000).
Employment in financial activities rose by 21,000 in February, above the prior 12-month average
gain (+5,000). Over the month, employment continued to trend up in real estate and rental and
leasing (+10,000) and insurance carriers and related activities (+5,000). Commercial banking
lost 5,000 jobs.
Transportation and warehousing employment continued to trend up in February (+18,000), in
line with the average monthly gain over the prior 12 months (+13,000). Over the month, job
growth occurred in couriers and messengers (+24,000) and air transportation (+4,000).
Employment in social assistance continued to trend up in February (+11,000), below the
average monthly gain over the prior 12 months (+21,000). Over the month, employment continued
to trend up in individual and family services (+10,000).
Within government, federal government employment declined by 10,000 in February.
Employment in retail trade changed little over the month (-6,000) and has shown little net
change over the year. In February, employment in food and beverage retailers declined by
15,000, largely due to strike activity. Warehouse clubs, supercenters, and other general
merchandise retailers added 10,000 jobs.
Employment showed little change over the month in other major industries, including mining,
quarrying, and oil and gas extraction; construction; manufacturing; wholesale trade;
information; professional and business services; leisure and hospitality; and other services.
In February, average hourly earnings for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls rose by 10
cents, or 0.3 percent, to $35.93. Over the past 12 months, average hourly earnings have
increased by 4.0 percent. In February, average hourly earnings of private-sector production and
nonsupervisory employees rose by 9 cents, or 0.3 percent, to $30.89. (See tables B-3 and B-8.)
In February, the average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged
at 34.1 hours. In manufacturing, the average workweek remained at 40.1 hours, and overtime edged
up by 0.1 hour to 2.9 hours. The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory employees on
private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged at 33.6 hours. (See tables B-2 and B-7.)
The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for December was revised up by 16,000, from
+307,000 to +323,000, and the change for January was revised down by 18,000, from +143,000 to
+125,000. With these revisions, employment in December and January combined is 2,000 lower than
previously reported. (Monthly revisions result from additional reports received from businesses
and government agencies since the last published estimates and from the recalculation of seasonal
factors.)
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The Employment Situation for March is scheduled to be released on Friday, April 4, 2025,
at 8:30 a.m. (ET).
United States Department of Labor
