Author note: These results are based on a trajectory that was set in motion by the Obama administration. The economy was strong, despite the political rhetoric that overwhelmed the election. Remember the difference between today and the shape of the economy when Obama took office in January of 2009. Wall Street had crashed and the economy was in a free fall. Based on factual results like these job reports today, we should not abandon successful economic management in favor of uninformed political posturing.
The U.S. economy added a healthy 235,000 jobs in February, according to government data released Friday morning, surpassing economists’ expectations and likely clearing the way for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates this month.
The unemployment rate ticked down to 4.7 percent, compared with 4.8 percent in January, and wages rose by 6 cents to $26.09 in February, after a 5-cent increase the month before.
“It’s definitely a solid report,” said Tara Sinclair, an economist at George Washington University. “This is the kind of number that the Federal Reserve was looking to receive before their meetings next week.”
