The U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, falling short of expectations, as severe winter weather and a Kaiser Permanente strike disrupted hiring, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported.

The unemployment rate edged up to 4.4%, while long-term unemployment rose to 25.7 weeks—the highest since December 2021.

Key sectors such as health care, information services, manufacturing, and government saw job losses, though wages rose 0.4% for the month and 3.8% year-over-year.

Economists and Federal Reserve officials described the report as volatile, influenced by temporary factors, and cautioned against reading it as a sign of a sustained downturn, CNBC has reported.

Despite weak payroll growth, broader economic indicators show continued expansion in services and manufacturing, and the Fed is taking a cautious, wait-and-see approach on interest rate policy.