US nonfarm payrolls picked up in February, rising moderately vs. the number of hirings in January. The economy added 151,000 jobs last month, up from 125,000 in the previous month. “Job growth is holding steady, but headwinds are building,” says Morningstar senior US economist Preston Caldwell. The government’s surveys have “likely yet to register more than a sliver of the full impact from federal government layoff. That should change in next month’s job report.”
