Markets are reacting to a lower-than-expected jobs report that came out after Wall Street’s biggest indexes lost hundreds of billions of dollars. 

Employers added 151,000 jobs in February, according to the latest jobs report, stretching the U.S. economy’s job growth streak to 50 months. 

The unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 4.1 percent from 4 percent.

The net positive jobs results sent stock futures temporarily into the green, a positive sign after Wall Street stumbled during a tumultuous Thursday trading day.

At first, Nasdaq jumped 0.3 percent in the green in pre-market trading. The composite went back into the red after the bell. 

All three major indexes — the Dow Jones, S&P 500, and Nasdaq — are in the red during mid-day trading after the report.  

The Nasdaq dipped into correction territory yesterday with a 2.6 percent loss. 

Experts told Daily Mail that the jobs report was incredibly important after this week’s volatility. 

‘Given the headlines around federal employment and worries about the economy, today’s jobs report was a huge focus for investors,’ Bret Kenwell, the U.S. investment analyst for eToro said in a statement. 

‘It didn’t beat economists’ expectations, but there’s a wonder if a better-than-worst-case outcome will be enough to trigger a relief rally on Wall Street.’

The jobs survey used for the report was conducted in mid-February, meaning some of the more dramatic shifts could take another month or two to show up in the data. 

Federal employment shrank by 10,000 jobs, but that figure might not fully reflect the wave of hiring freezes, buyouts, and mass firings at federal agencies under the Trump administration.

The massive changes in the federal workforce are likely to send job growth into a decline for the first time in over four years for March, largely due to economic uncertainty and cuts from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

Beyond federal job cuts, private-sector hiring has already downshifted from the breakneck pace of 2021 to 2023. 

That slowdown has analysts watching closely for signs of broader cooling in economic growth. 

‘Not only did the headline jobs figure come in below estimates, but the unemployment rate crept up to 4.1 percent from 4 percent and the January jobs gain was revised lower from 143,000 to 125,000,’ Kenwell added. 

The US economy added 151,000 jobs in February, which was more than January

Still, the markets seem reactive to their biggest potential storm cloud: trade wars. 

The Trump administration has now u-turned on 25 percent tariffs on goods coming in from Mexico and Canada twice. 

The tariffs, which experts warn would raise prices across the broader economy, were initially slated to launch in February. 

President Trump pushed the launch date back to March after stocks reacted negatively to his policy. 

Then, two days into the March tariff start, Trump pushed back the tariffs again to April 2 after calls with the Mexican President and Canadian Prime Minister. 

President Trump warned that the stock market could be pained by incoming tariffs. But he preached patience. 

‘There may be a little bit of an adjustment period – you have to bear with me,’ he said during his record-breaking speech. 

‘Tariffs are about Making America Great Again. There may be a little disturbance.’

But Kenwell said patience is wearing thin. He said investors will continue to be weary until the President clearly dictates his economic policy. 

‘Until there’s more clarity around the current trade war and reassurance around the economy, a “risk-off” mood can linger on Wall Street,’ he said. 

‘Moving forward, the upcoming CPI [consumer price index, which measures inflation in the market] report and Fed meeting will be key events for investors to focus on.’