U.S. economy adds 313,000 jobs in February, but wage gains slow
WASHINGTON - Hiring surged last month as U.S. employers generated the most new jobs since mid-2016, the Labor Department said Friday, but wage growth slowed as long-awaited gains in worker pay have yet to take permanent hold.
The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1 percent, the lowest since 2000, as the labor force swelled by 806,000. That was the biggest increase since 2003 and indicated more people were coming off the labor market sidelines to look for work.
The 313,000 net new jobs added in February far exceeded analyst expectations and were a major increase from the previous month's upwardly revised 239,000 figure.
