Surprise Drop in US Payrolls Casts Doubt on Steadying Job Market

US employers unexpectedly cut jobs in February and the unemployment rate rose, pointing to lingering fragility in a labor market that was thought to be stabilizing. Nonfarm payrolls fell 92,000 last month, one of the largest declines since the pandemic, after a strong start to the year. While some of the downside was expected in advance, like a temporary dent from striking healthcare workers and a potential hit from bad weather, a wide array of industries cut jobs in the month. The figures call into question whether the labor market is actually steadying — as Wall Street economists and Federal Reserve officials had hoped — after the worst year for hiring outside of a recession in decades. Bloomberg TV and Radio International Economics & Policy Correspondent Michael McKee joins Bloomberg Businessweek Daily to discuss. McKee speaks with Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec. (Source: Bloomberg)