Amid ongoing economic uncertainty, the labor market remains stable and resilient. Hiring on Monster is unwavering, increasing slightly (1%) over the past month, while the overall economy grew by 151,000 jobs in February, according to the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) jobs report, on par with last month’s job numbers. Job gains were seen in a number of industries, including healthcare, finance, and transportation and warehousing, despite losses suffered in the government and retail sectors.
“February’s addition of 151,000 jobs, while indicative of continued labor market resilience, reflects a mixed economic picture,” says Monster Economist Giacomo Santangelo. “This modest growth aligns with recent declines in consumer spending, confidence, retail sales, and manufacturing activity, as well as lower-than-expected ADP private sector job numbers… as we move into the spring, job growth is expected to continue but at a slower pace with sectors like healthcare, manufacturing, and construction offering better prospects despite ongoing economic uncertainties.”
Below, we shared our breakdown of these job numbers along with key takeaways to help employers plan for the months ahead.
Healthcare Leads the Way in Hiring
The healthcare sector continued to lead the way in hiring in the BLS monthly jobs report for the fifth consecutive month. With gains of 52,000 in February, employment grew within ambulatory health care services, hospitals, and nursing and residential care facilities.
“The healthcare industry’s contribution of 52,000 jobs, which accounts for more than a third of February’s total job gains, stands as further evidence of healthcare’s role in driving the labor market,” Santangelo says. “The industry’s expansion in ambulatory health care services, hospitals, and nursing and residential care facilities reflects the increasing need for medical care and support services, which is vital for public health and economic stability.”
Likewise, healthcare hiring continues to dominate Monster job boards. Active job postings for registered nurses remain #1 overall on site, while other top healthcare positions hiring include:
- Critical care nurses (#4 overall)
- Physical therapists (#5 overall)
From a candidate standpoint, healthcare job searches increased 21% over the past month on Monster. However, Santangelo says employers will need to address challenges, such as workforce shortages, employee burnout, and financial pressures, in order to sustain the industry’s growth and ensure the delivery of high-quality care.
Finance Job Numbers are Trending Up
Declining interest rates and rising demand caused job growth to surge within the financial activities sector in February. The BLS reported gains of 21,000 — a 320% increase compared to its average monthly gain — with employment expanding primarily in real estate and rental leasings (+10,000) and insurance carriers (+5,000).
“The stabilization of interest rates and improved economic outlook have boosted investor confidence, leading to more activity in real estate transactions and rental markets,” Santangelo says. “In the insurance sector, the demand for insurance products has risen due to heightened awareness of risk management and the need for coverage in a volatile economic environment. These factors combined have contributed to the notable increases in job growth in these sectors.”
Looking ahead, Santangelo believes growth in the real estate and insurance job sectors is likely to continue in the coming months, but at a slower pace. Likewise, Monster data shows the number of active finance job postings increasing slightly (2%) with top jobs hiring including those within:
- Business operations
- Market research
- Management analysis
E-commerce Fuels Growth in Transportation and Warehousing
Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic five years ago, e-commerce has grown exponentially, fueling growth within the transportation and warehousing sector. Just looking at the past year alone, revenue from e-commerce shipments has increased 7%, now accounting for about 80% of total sales value within the transportation industry.
“Both businesses and consumers learned a lot during the Covid-19 lockdown, which accelerated the shift to online shopping as consumers adapted to new purchasing behaviors,” Santangelo says. “This surge in e-commerce has significantly impacted employment within transportation and warehousing by increasing the demand for rapid order fulfillment and delivery services. Companies have had to expand their logistics operations, invest in advanced technologies, and strategically locate distribution centers closer to urban areas to meet consumer expectations for faster delivery.”
This had led to steady job growth within the transportation and warehousing sector, which continued in February with gains of 18,000, according to the BLS monthly jobs report. Messengers and couriers were a driving force in the sector’s solid job numbers.
With transportation and warehousing job postings up 42% over the month on Monster, job growth is expected to continue to increase. Jobs for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers were the #2 job posting overall on Monster, while other top transportation jobs hiring included:
- Light truck or delivery service drivers (#10 overall)
- Motor vehicle operators
Job search activity increased as well, up 11% over the month on Monster, with a focus on e-commerce-related activities. Some of the top keywords searched within the transportation and warehousing industry included:
- Warehouse
- Amazon
- Delivery driver
Unemployment Rises Amid Job Losses
Not everyone was able to find favor in today’s tough economic conditions. Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported 172,017 job cuts in February — the highest level since July 2020 — up 245% from January. About one-third of these losses came from President Donald Trump’s efforts to reduce federal headcount, which was also reflected in the BLS monthly jobs report. When the BLS survey was conducted, federal government employment had declined by 10,000. Along with the government sector, major job losses were also suffered within retail, which the BLS attributed to strike activity among food and beverage retailers.
Given these losses, it wasn’t surprising to see the unemployment rate inch back up from 4% to 4.1%. Likewise, a broader measure of unemployment that includes discouraged workers and those that hold part-time jobs for economic reasons increased by 0.5% to 8%, the highest level since October 2021.
In the coming months, Santangelo says we may see an increase in unemployment with more federal layoffs expected. “The immediate effect of the federal layoffs will be an increase in the unemployment rate as displaced federal workers seek new jobs,” he says. “The ripple effect might extend to private sector contractors who rely on federal contracts, potentially leading to further job losses in related industries.”
Wage Increases Not Enough to Keep Up With Inflation
Consumer prices, which have been steadily rising since June 2024, are still refusing to come down. According to the BLS, consumer prices have increased 3% over the past 12 months, moving further away from the target 2% mark and getting closer to outpacing wage growth, now up 4% in February.
“Although nominal wages have increased, the purchasing power of these earnings may continue to decline if inflation outpaces wage growth,” Santangelo says. “Workers may find that their paychecks do not stretch as far, leading to decreased consumer spending power. Employers may also face pressure to raise wages to attract and retain talent in a competitive labor market, further contributing to inflationary pressures.”
While wage growth isn’t currently outpacing inflation, the majority of workers are already finding that today’s wage gains aren’t cutting it. According to Monster’s 2025 Work Watch report, 95% of workers said their current wages have not kept up with the rising cost of living. As a result, 44% of workers have had to start looking for a higher pay job and 17% have had to pick up a second job or seek out additional part-time work.
Job Search Activity Gaining Momentum
As unemployment and inflationary pressures increase, so have job searches as candidates continued to hit the job market with even more vigor last month. Following a 21% increase in January, job searches on Monster rose further, up 40% in February.
Here’s where candidates are focusing their job searches:
- Work from home
- Part-time
- Data engineer
- Sales
- Software engineer
- Entry level
- Administrative assistant
- Human resources
- IT
Stay Tuned for the Next Monthly Jobs Report
Monster aims to provide employers with the insight needed to move forward. As you plan your hiring strategy over the next month, check out Monster’s 2025 Work Watch report for the latest hiring trends and insights.
We’ll see you here again in April when we will release our next take on the monthly jobs report.