Revisions also cut 69,000 jobs from December and January payrolls.

Nonfarm payrolls were expected to increase 50,000 in February while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.3%.

The job market had been expected to rebound this year from a lackluster 2025.

The contraction came as a surprise with payrolls down in nearly every sector.

Revisions also cut 69,000 jobs from December and January payrolls.