The February gain marked a sharp pickup from the 166,000 jobs that were added in January and a loss of 306,000 in December.

Some employers remain cautious about hiring, even as more of the economy reopens.

The 12.5 million jobs deficit, the 3.9 million low-wage service jobs gone, the 23 million un- and underemployed.

This has many economists predicting the economic pain of the pandemic will last long after the economy “recovers.”

Job openings are back to where they were a year ago. But the labor market needs more to recover.

The tepid increase followed a decline of 227,000 jobs in December, the first loss since April.

The figures suggest employers have rehired roughly all the workers they can afford to after laying off more than 22 million.

Employers added 245,000 jobs, many fewer than the previous month. The economy is still down nearly 10 million jobs since February.

U.S. employers added a modest 245,000 jobs as the spread of coronavirus continues to intensify.

It’s employees of small businesses who are most at risk, according to one payroll processor.