The US economy likely added 59K payrolls in February 2026, marking a sharp slowdown from the strong 130K increase recorded in January. Part of the slowdown in hiring may be linked to strikes by the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP), which are expected to account for around 31K striking workers. The report is also expected to show the unemployment rate holding steady at 4.3%. Meanwhile, wages likely rose 0.3% month-on-month after a 0.4% increase in January, with annual wage growth seen at 3.7%, unchanged from the previous month.
