| Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) in the US dipped by 92,000 in February, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Friday. This followed the 126,000 (revised from 130,000) increase recorded in January. Unemployment Rate edged higher to 4.4% from 4.3% in January, while the Labor Force Participation Rate declined to 62% from 62.1%. Finally, annual wage inflation, as measured by the change in the Average Hourly Earnings, rose to 3.8% from 3.7%. The change in total nonfarm payroll employment for December was revised down by 65,000, from +48,000 to -17,000, and the change for January was revised down by 4,000, from +130,000 to +126,000, the BLS noted in its press release. |