The Economic Times

US jobs report today: nonfarm payrolls fall by 92,000 in February 2026 as unemployment rate rises to 4.4% what will the Fed do now and will the US stock market fall further?

US jobs report today: The U.S. jobs report for February 2026 shows a sharp labor market shock. Nonfarm payrolls fell by 92,000, while the U.S. unemployment rate rose to 4.4%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Economists expected 50,000 job gains, making this a major miss. Job losses hit health care, manufacturing, information services, and federal government. A major healthcare strike and severe winter weather worsened hiring. Yet average hourly earnings rose 0.4% month-over-month and 3.8% year-over-year. Markets now watch the Federal Reserve closely. Weak jobs data may increase Fed rate cut expectations and trigger volatility in the U.S. stock market today.