US unemployment rate 4.4% in Feb 2026, LFPR 62%: BLS

The US unemployment rate, at 4.4 per cent, as well as the number of unemployed people in the country, at 7.6 million, changed little month on month (MoM) in February this year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Total non-farm payroll employment edged down by 92,000 in the month following an increase of 126,000 in January.

The US unemployment rate, at 4.4 per cent, as well as the number of unemployed, at 7.6 million, changed little month on month in February, official statistics show.
Both the labour force participation rate, at 62 per cent, and the employment-population ratio, at 59.3 per cent, changed little in the month.
US manufacturing sector labour productivity decreased by 1.9 per cent QoQ in Q4 2025.

Both the labour force participation rate (LFPR), at 62 per cent, and the employment-population ratio, at 59.3 per cent, changed little in the month, a BLS release said.

These figures showed little change year on year (YoY) after accounting for the annual adjustments to the population controls.

US non-farm business sector labour productivity increased by 2.8 per cent quarter on quarter (QoQ) in the fourth quarter (Q4) last year as output increased by 2.6 per cent QoQ and hours worked decreased by 0.2 per cent QoQ. It increased by 2.8 per cent YoY in the quarter.

Annual average productivity increased by 2.2 per cent from 2024 to 2025.

US manufacturing sector labour productivity decreased by 1.9 per cent QoQ in Q4 2025 as output decreased by 2.2 per cent QoQ and hours worked decreased by 0.3 per cent QoQ. In the durable manufacturing sector, productivity decreased by 3 per cent QoQ, reflecting a 2.3-per cent QoQ drop in output and a 0.7-per cent QoQ increase in hours worked.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)