According to Odaily Odaily, U.S. job growth may have cooled in February as the surge in healthcare hiring in January is expected to return to normal, although the unemployment rate is projected to remain unchanged at 4.3%.
The Labor Department's highly anticipated jobs report, to be released later, could paint a picture of a stabilizing labor market. Previously, in 2025, the labor market teetered on the brink of collapse due to what economists call uncertainty stemming from President Trump's comprehensive tariff policies. This will further solidify economists' view that the Federal Reserve is in no hurry to resume interest rate cuts, especially given the escalating inflationary threat of war in the Middle East. Economists predict that nonfarm payrolls likely increased by only 59,000 last month, following a gain of 130,000 jobs in January. Forecasts range from a decrease of 9,000 to an increase of 125,000. In addition to a pullback in the healthcare sector, strikes by 31,000 healthcare workers in California and Hawaii could also weigh on the jobs data. (Jinshi)
