U.S. Employment Growth Remains Stable In February With 151,000 Jobs Added; Movie And Music Industry Sees Hiring Uptick

The U.S. economy added 151,000 jobs in February, in line with expectations, as the unemployment rate held at 4.1%.

The numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed a decline in the federal workforce of 10,000, as President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have embarked on a wide scale reduction of the government labor pool.

But that decline was offset by gains in health care, financial activities, transportation and warehousing and social assistance.

In the movie and music industry, employers added about 4,700 jobs to 413,500. In broadcasting and among content providers, employment declined by about 1,000 to 331,500. Employment in publishing was flat, adding about 400 positions to 918,800.

The latest figures come amid increasing worries about an economic slowdown, as a number of economists point to the impact of Trump’s tariffs and job cuts in the federal workforce. A fuller picture will likely happen in the next couple of months. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also tends to revise figures in subsequent months as more data is available.