US economic worries mount as Trump implements tariffs, cuts workforce and freezes spending
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump's flurry of tariffs, government layoffs and spending freezes may be doing more to harm the U.S. economy than to fix it. The labor market remains healthy with a 4.1% unemployment rate and 151,000 jobs added in February, along with investment commitments by some companies. But Friday's employment report also showed the number of people stuck working part-time because of economic circumstances jumped by 460,000 last month. Sixteen thousand jobs were lost in the leisure and hospitality sectors, while the federal government reduced its payrolls by 10,000. Since January, the economic policy uncertainty index has spiked to a level that in the past signaled a recession.