The contraction came as a surprise with payrolls down in nearly every sector.
The job market had been expected to rebound this year from a lackluster 2025.
La tasa de paro crece una décima, hasta el 4,4%, tras un inicio de año más positivo
Nonfarm payrolls fell by 92,000 in February while the rate of unemployment climbed to 4.4%, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.
The healthcare sector was hit the hardest , while tariff-exposed sectors remained stagnant .
The world's largest economy shed 92,000 jobs in February and unemployment edged up to 4.4%, according to official data released Friday.