Scott Horsley

but the government says it's working on a streamlined process that won't require every importer to file individual lawsuits.

The government says it'll take about a month and a half to set up the program, which will use the same electronic filing system importers already rely on.

The proposal came after a judge at the Court of International Trade said this week the Supreme Court left the administration with no choice, but to refund the money it wrongly collected.

Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

Job losses were widespread, with factories, construction companies, and the federal government all shedding workers.

Even health care, which has been a source of strength in the job market, lost jobs in February, partly as a result of a nurses' strike.

Job gains for December and January were also revised downward, with December now showing a net loss of jobs.

The unemployment rate inched up last month to 4.4 percent.

Policymakers had hoped the job market was stabilizing after anemic hiring in 2025, but February's job loss suggests continued weakness.

Average wages for those who are working continue to climb, with hourly wages up 3.8 percent in February from a year ago.

Scott Horsley, Impair News, Washington.

After an anemic year of hiring in 2025, policymakers had hoped for some stabilization in the job market, but a new report from the Labor Department shows continued weakness.

U.S.

employers cut 92,000 jobs last month, and revised figures show the economy also lost jobs in December.

News of the softening job market comes at a time when Americans are already nervous about the high cost of living.

And those concerns will likely be amplified by the U.S.

war with Iran, which has triggered a sharp rise in energy prices.

AAA says the average price of gasoline jumped another 7 cents overnight.

At $3.32 a gallon, gasoline now costs 21 cents more than it did at this time last year.

The price of diesel fuel is up 68 cents from a year ago.