U.S. sheds 92,000 jobs in February 2026 as unemployment rate holds at 4.4%

In February, the U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs while the unemployment rate registered 4.4%, with 7.6 million people counted as unemployed. Labor force participation remained at 62.0% and the employment-population ratio stayed at 59.3%, as long-term joblessness reached 1.9 million people who had been out of work for at least 27 weeks. U.S. crude oil prices also surged above $80 per barrel, pushing gasoline prices higher amid escalating conflict in the Strait of Hormuz.