U.S. employers added 275,000 jobs in February and the unemployment rate ticked higher, the Labor Department reported on Friday.
Job growth was driven by the hiring of health care and government employees, along with food services. On the flip side, the manufacturing sector cut 4,000 positions.
Average hourly earnings, a key measure of inflation, increased 0.1% for the month and climbed 4.3% from the same time one year ago. Strong job growth combined with rising wages is fueling inflation, according to some economists.