With the easing of lockdown restrictions in February, the United States added 379,000 jobs, with most of the gains in leisure and hospitality, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate was little changed at 6.2 percent.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, total nonfarm employment is lower by 9.5 million jobs. Revisions to the previous two months showed a net increase of 38,000 jobs. Job losses in December 2020 were even greater than initially reported, as the change was revised down by another 79,000 jobs to a loss of 306,000 jobs, but the change for January was revised upward by 117,000 jobs to 166,000 jobs.
By employment category, the biggest gains were in the leisure and hospitality sector, which saw an increase of 355,000 jobs, reflecting the easing