Jobs fall in construction, as U.S. economy adds only 20,000 jobs in February

The U.S. economy added only 20,000 jobs in February, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a substantial drop from the previous month, and the unemployment rate was 3.8 percent.

“Slower job growth was expected and achieved in February after the robust gain of a now revised 311,000 jobs in January,” says Elizabeth Norton, managing research director at Transwestern. “The minimal 20,000 gain in February is lower than expected, however. The economy is poised to slow in 2019, a deceleration that has been expected after one of the longest recovery periods in history. In addition, the elevated snowfall likely acted as a drag to the numbers this month. However, like the January numbers, the low February gain is likely an anomaly and not a trend to rely on, at least not yet. With a low unemployment rate of 3.8 percent, finding hirable talent remains a