US payrolls growth probably settled back in February after the strongest month of hiring in a year, returning to a more moderate and likely sustainable pace of hiring. Economists project 60,000 jobs were added for the month — less than half the number created at the start of the year, according the median of a Bloomberg survey ahead of Friday’s report. The jobless rate is seen holding steady at 4.3%. After years of scrambling to lure workers, employers dialed back hiring rapidly in 2025. The result was the weakest year for payrolls growth outside of a recession since 2003. That’s led to increased anxiety among ... (full story)