By Brittney Sherman
The hospitality and leisure industry accounted for approximately 105,000 of the total 311,000 jobs added across the United States during the month of February. Food and drinking establishments led the February hospitality job growth, followed closely by the retail industry. Substantial pay raises for hourly construction workers helped boost the construction industry job creation with higher gains than most other sectors. While job creation grew during the month of February, so too did the unemployment rate by 0.2 percent. However, unemployment rates continue to remain close to the 50-year low despite continued inflation and economic uncertainty.