US economy added 273,000 jobs in February

(CNN) — The US economy added 273,000 jobs in February, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics said Friday.

Leading the gains were new jobs in health care and social assistance, food services and government, where 7,000 people were hired for the April Census.

The unemployment rate fell back to the historic low 3.5%.

Paychecks increased by 3% on average over the year leading up to February, and grew 0.3% in the month.

The jobs survey was taken in the middle of February, before coronavirus fears overtook Corporate America.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.