U.S. Adds 242,000 Jobs in February 2016

Words: Dan KamysPayrolls are growing but wages aren’t, according to the latest monthly employment report released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Construction made a strong showing, though a dip in overall wages questions a tightening labor market. The U.S. economy added 242,000 private, non-farm, seasonally adjusted payroll positions in February, beating analysts' expectations and recovering from a slowdown in growth during January. This month’s positive report continues the longest run of monthly employment gains on record at 72 months, The New York Times reports, but the slight decline in wages from January stands to counter the notion that employees will benefit from a tightening market as businesses compete for fewer available workers and could, more generally, slow consumer spending. The national unemployment rate held steady at 4.9 percent. The previously reported payroll gains of 151,000 for January were revised up to 172,000. December’s addition of 262,000 was changed to 271,000. Construction continued its upward trend in February, adding 19,000 jobs. Overall, the sector has added 253,000 payroll positions in the last 12 months, with residential specialty trade contractors accounting for roughly half of that growth. Manufacturing lost 16,000 jobs in February, while the architectural and engineering services subsector kept pace with the downward-revised December and January figures at 1,400 jobs added in February.
Hallie Busta is an associate editor of products and technology at ARCHITECT, Architectural Lighting, and Residential Architect. Follow her on Twitter at @HallieBusta.
How I plan to live to 130
November 2026

While talking with one of our mechanics about the importance of changing the oil and keeping equipment greased, a thought occurred to me. These simple maintenance habits keep equipment running smoothly and help prevent breakdowns when you can least afford

Damian Lang
Contractor Tip of the Month
Read More
The Frustration Of Firefighting
November 2026

I find it fascinating what happens when an owner or executive leader walks into a struggling project. Morale picks up. Production improves. People communicate better. Meetings get sharper. Problems that have been sitting around for two weeks suddenly get

Corey Adams
Building More
Read More
Motivate With Money!
November 2026

I get asked about employee incentive and profit-sharing programs with every contractor I coach. Construction business owners seem to be looking for the magic bullet that will motivate their people to work harder and produce more. Some hope that providing

George Hedley
Business Building
Read More
Manufacturer Relationships
November 2026

As a contractor, the last person I wanted to see in my office was a salesman or a sales representative. Now that I better understand being a manufacturer, I see it in a different light. As a contractor, you can control the purchasing of material, understa

Steve Fechino
Fechino Files
Read More