The economy creates 275,000 jobs in February but the unemployment rate rises to 3.9%. The average hourly wage, which is closely watched as an indicator of inflation, posted a slightly lower-than-expected monthly increase.
Salaries only rose 0.1% in the month, one tenth below the estimate, and 4.3% compared to a year ago. Full-time employment decreased by 187,000 positions, while part-time Employment increased by 51,000. The Bureau of Labor Statistics report was released on Friday.