US gained 275k jobs in February, beating expectations

The U.S. added 275,000 jobs in February as the unemployment rate rose to 3.9 percent, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department.

The February jobs report defied the expectations of economists, who projected a gain of 200,000 jobs with the jobless rate staying even at 3.7 percent, according to consensus estimates.

The February jobs report comes one day after President Biden sought to highlight the rapid recovery of the U.S. economy and his investments in its long-term future during the State of the Union address Thursday night.

Biden has struggled to turn strong economic data into support of his handling of the economy with less than eight months until the election, in which he is likely to face a rematch with former President Trump.

In his Thursday speech, Biden touted the record-busting job growth and surge in manufacturing activity during his presidency while bashing the press for ignoring "the greatest comeback story never told."

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